French first lady Carla Bruni is Woody Allen's latest star

AMERICAN film director Woody Allen found himself issuing instructions to French first lady Carla Bruni on the streets of the French capital during shooting for his latest movie, Midnight in Paris.

Ms Bruni is making her debut as an actress, and the former supermodel was watched by her husband, President Nicolas Sarkozy, who turned up on the Left Bank set to see her latest creative venture.

Allen, beloved by the French, recruited Ms Bruni last year for a small role in the romantic comedy, which follows a family travelling in Paris for business. She plays a museum director.

When she announced her acceptance of Allen's offer of a role, the 42-year-old said she was unsure of her acting skills.

"I'm not at all an actress. Maybe I'll be absolutely terrible," she said.