2023-06-02 20:33:49
Philippe Pozzo di Borgo, aristocrat and businessman who became a quadriplegic and whose story inspired “Intouchables”, one of the greatest successes of French cinema, died in Morocco where he lived. He was 72 years old.
“He died last night in Marrakech”, announced Friday Eric Toledano, director with Olivier Nakache of “Intouchables”, released in 2011.
“It’s a shock and it’s above all an immense sadness because it’s a relationship that has had an incredible longevity. We stayed in contact, we did operations together, we wrote to each other, we is reviewed many times”.
Born in 1951 in Tunis and from an old Corsican noble family, Philippe Pozzo di Borgo was the manager of the Pommery champagne house. In 1993, he was injured in a paragliding accident and became a quadriplegic.
In his book “Le Second souffle” published in 2001, he tells how he came out of depression thanks to his life assistant, Abdel Yasmin Sellou.
Published in 50 countries
This story will be adapted to the screen in “Intouchables”, a huge success of 2011 which attracted nearly 20 million spectators to theaters. The two men are played by François Cluzet and Omar Sy, who will also win the César for best actor in 2012.
“Forever in our hearts”, reacted on his Instagram account the actor of “Lupin”.
>> Read also: Omar Sy and Philippe Pozzo di Borgo, heroes of the untouchables, at the interview
Sold in nearly 50 countries, “Intouchables” recorded 19.49 million admissions in France and achieved exceptional success in Europe – particularly in Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Italy. It has also been adapted in the United States (“The Upside”) with Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart.
This movie changed the course of my life
This film “changed the course of my existence and that of Olivier since it had an echo in France and in many countries. And above all, I find that his life and the way he used to be has changed the lives of many people,” said Eric Toledano.
“He helped a lot of people. He responded to thousands of messages, he had patience and attention to each of the people who were suffering and who needed these words, his comfort. He had a sense of humor and an unfailing optimism when he himself was in pain,” he added.
Opposed to euthanasia
The director remembers that Philippe Pozzo di Borgo gave them the right to transcribe his story on the screen on the condition of making it “a comedy”.
Honorary President of the Simon de Cyrène association, which creates shared living homes for people with multiple disabilities in France, Philippe Pozzo di Borgo has donated part of his film rights to the association, which has made it possible to multiply the number of these establishments to more than 20 in France.
In 2015, he became the sponsor of the association “Relieve but not kill” which campaigns against euthanasia.
>> Read also: Of flesh and soul
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