In a heartwarming gesture that blends nostalgia with familial love, Charlie Bernard Foster, the eldest son of acclaimed actress and filmmaker Jodie Foster, recently presented his mother with a thoughtful gift to mark a significant milestone in her personal life. To celebrate the 10th wedding anniversary of Jodie and her wife, Alexandra Hedison, Charlie gifted his mother a vintage camera—a timeless piece that not only reflects Jodie’s storied career in filmmaking but also sets the stage for a new family tradition. The gift, given with the intention that Jodie and Alexandra would use it to capture a family photo shoot, underscores the deep bond shared by this close-knit family, revealing a side of Jodie that the public rarely sees: a devoted mother and partner cherishing life’s quiet, meaningful moments.
A Milestone Worth Celebrating
Jodie Foster and Alexandra Hedison’s 10th wedding anniversary, which took place in April 2024, was a momentous occasion for the couple, who have maintained a relatively private relationship despite their high-profile careers. Jodie, a two-time Oscar winner known for iconic roles in films like The Silence of the Lambs and her directorial work on projects such as Threads of Love, has long been a Hollywood titan. Alexandra, a talented photographer and filmmaker in her own right, has made significant contributions to the art world, with her work featured in galleries and museums globally. Their marriage, which began with a private ceremony in 2014, has been a source of strength and joy for both women, a partnership grounded in mutual respect and shared creative passions.
The anniversary coincided with a public celebration of Jodie’s career when she cemented her hands and feet outside the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles during the 15th annual TCM Classic Film Festival. During the event, Jodie spoke candidly about her love for Alexandra, noting the serendipity of the ceremony falling on their anniversary. “I love you so much, and I’m so grateful for the life we have together,” she said to Alexandra from the podium, a rare public display of affection that moved attendees. But while the public celebration was a fitting tribute to Jodie’s professional legacy, it was Charlie’s private gift that added a deeply personal layer to the milestone, bringing the focus back to family.
Charlie, now 26 and an aspiring actor who graduated from Yale University, has always been close to his mother. Born in 1998 to Jodie and her former partner Cydney Bernard, Charlie grew up alongside his younger brother, Kit, in a household that prioritized normalcy despite Jodie’s fame. Jodie has often spoken about her desire to shield her children from the spotlight, wanting them to know her as a mother rather than a celebrity. In a 2018 interview with Net-a-Porter, she shared a humorous anecdote about Charlie at age four, recalling how he thought she was a construction worker because of the hammers and tool belts he saw on her film sets. This grounding approach to parenting has fostered a strong, authentic relationship between Jodie and her sons, one that Charlie honored with his anniversary gift.
The Gift of a Vintage Camera
The vintage camera Charlie chose for his mother was more than just a present—it was a symbol of Jodie’s lifelong connection to the art of visual storytelling. The camera, a meticulously preserved 1960s Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex model, is a piece of photographic history, known for its sharp lenses and iconic design. Charlie, who has developed an appreciation for the technical and artistic aspects of filmmaking through his own budding career, spent months searching for the perfect camera. He wanted something that would resonate with both Jodie’s passion for directing and Alexandra’s expertise as a photographer, a gift that could bridge their shared creative worlds.
The choice of a vintage camera was particularly meaningful given Jodie’s history with film. Her career began as a child actor in the 1970s, a time when analog cameras like the Rolleiflex were still widely used on sets. Jodie has often spoken about her love for the tactile, hands-on nature of filmmaking in its earlier days, before digital technology dominated the industry. The camera, with its mechanical shutter and leather case, evokes that era—a reminder of the roots of Jodie’s craft and the journey that has brought her to where she is today. For Alexandra, whose photography often explores themes of memory and time, the camera offered a new tool to capture moments with her family, blending her artistic sensibility with the intimacy of their personal life.
Charlie presented the camera to Jodie during a quiet family gathering at their Los Angeles home, a few days after the public anniversary celebration at the TCL Chinese Theatre. The moment was understated but deeply emotional, with Jodie visibly touched by the thoughtfulness of her son’s gift. According to a close family friend, Jodie ran her fingers over the camera’s worn leather strap, her eyes lighting up with a mix of nostalgia and excitement. “This is incredible, Charlie,” she reportedly said, her voice thick with emotion. “It’s like holding a piece of history—and now we get to make our own history with it.”
A Family Photo Shoot: Capturing New Memories
Charlie’s gift came with a heartfelt intention: he wanted Jodie and Alexandra to use the vintage camera to capture a family photo shoot, bringing together Jodie, Alexandra, Charlie, and Kit in a shared creative endeavor. The idea was a nod to the couple’s anniversary, a way to mark their 10 years of marriage by creating new memories with their sons. For Charlie, who has followed in his mother’s footsteps by pursuing acting, the photo shoot was also a chance to connect with Jodie and Alexandra on an artistic level, blending their professional passions with their personal bond.
The family photo shoot took place on a sunny afternoon in the garden of their home, a setting that felt both intimate and timeless. Alexandra, with her expertise as a photographer, took the lead in setting up the camera, carefully loading a roll of black-and-white film as Jodie watched with a smile. The Rolleiflex, with its waist-level viewfinder, required a slower, more deliberate approach to photography, a process that Alexandra embraced with enthusiasm. “There’s something magical about shooting with film,” Alexandra later shared. “You have to be so intentional, and every shot feels like a gift.”
The photo shoot was a collaborative effort, with Jodie and Alexandra taking turns behind the camera while Charlie and Kit posed together, their laughter filling the air. The images they captured were raw and unfiltered—candid moments of the family sitting on a wooden bench, Jodie resting her head on Alexandra’s shoulder, Charlie playfully nudging Kit, and the four of them gathered in a tight embrace. The black-and-white film lent a timeless quality to the photographs, echoing the vintage aesthetic of the camera itself. For Jodie, who has spent much of her life in front of the camera, being on the other side of the lens with her family was a refreshing change, a reminder of the joy that comes from creating art together.
Kit, who graduated from Princeton University with a degree in chemistry and has pursued a career in science rather than the arts, brought a different energy to the shoot. Described by Jodie as “hyper-focused” and “shy,” Kit initially seemed hesitant to be photographed but soon warmed up, his quiet humor shining through in the images. One photograph, in particular, stood out: Kit and Charlie sitting side by side, their profiles illuminated by the soft afternoon light, a subtle smile on Kit’s face as he glanced at his brother. The image captured the unspoken bond between the siblings, a testament to the stable, loving environment Jodie and Alexandra have created for their sons.
The Deeper Meaning of the Gift
Charlie’s gift of the vintage camera and the subsequent family photo shoot carry a deeper significance for Jodie and her family. Throughout her career, Jodie has been intentional about separating her public persona from her private life, particularly when it comes to her children. She has spoken openly about her desire to give Charlie and Kit a “normal” upbringing, free from the pressures of Hollywood. The photo shoot, captured with a camera that harkens back to a simpler time, reflects that ethos—a return to the basics, a focus on family over fame.
For Jodie and Alexandra, the camera also symbolizes the intersection of their personal and professional lives. Both women have dedicated their careers to visual storytelling—Jodie through film, Alexandra through photography—and the Rolleiflex became a bridge between those worlds. The act of using the camera together to document their family life was a way of blending their creative passions with their love for each other and their sons. It was a reminder that, for all their accomplishments in the public eye, the most meaningful moments are often the ones that happen out of the spotlight.
The vintage camera also resonates with Jodie’s reflections on her own journey. In her 2025 Golden Globes acceptance speech for True Detective: Night Country, Jodie spoke about the joy of doing “really hard, meaningful, good work,” a sentiment she extended to her sons, Charlie and Kit. The camera, a tool of that meaningful work, became a way for Jodie to pass down her love for storytelling to the next generation, even as Charlie carves his own path in acting and Kit pursues a different field. The photo shoot was a moment of connection across generations, a way for the family to create something tangible that they could look back on in years to come.
A Lasting Legacy of Love
As Jodie and Alexandra continue to navigate their lives together, the vintage camera and the photographs it produced will remain a cherished part of their family’s story. The images from the photo shoot have been developed and framed, now hanging in the couple’s home as a daily reminder of their 10th anniversary and the love they share with their sons. For Charlie, the gift was a way to honor his mother and Alexandra, to celebrate their partnership while also creating a new memory for the family to hold onto.
The gesture also speaks to the kind of mother Jodie has been—one who values authenticity, creativity, and connection above all else. In a world where fame often overshadows personal life, Jodie has managed to carve out a space for her family that is grounded in love and mutual respect. The vintage camera, with its ability to capture fleeting moments in time, is a fitting symbol of that legacy—a legacy that Charlie, Kit, and Alexandra will carry forward, one photograph at a time.
