In 2011, French entrepreneur and businessman Philippe Pozzo di Borgo, who inspired the successful movie “Almost Friends”, one of the greatest successes of French cinema, passed away.
The paralyzed aristocrat, who lived in a grand palace in Paris, died today at the age of 72 in Marrakech, Morocco, on June 3rd. The news of his disappearance was given by the French newspaper “Le Figaro”.
The son of a noble family, Philippe Pozzo di Borgo was paralyzed after a paragliding accident shortly after the disappearance of his beloved wife, who suffered from a rare form of cancer. His autobiography “The Guardian Demon” made it possible to get acquainted with the story of a man who for years had to struggle against the limits imposed by his body and, above all, the idea of \u200b\u200bbeing useless. , finite man. Philippe Pozzo di Borgo waged this war with his caregiver, an Algerian immigrant fresh out of prison, who one day burst into his life like a whirlwind and immediately became his “devil guard”. Their relationship, which has a clash of cultures, soon turns into a solid bond of friendship.
Despite the pain he suffered after the accident in 1993, Philippe Pozzo di Borgo, who loved life, became the boss of the “Soulager mais past tuer” association, which especially struggled with euthanasia. In 2016, he also agreed to become a reference for UP for Humanness, dedicated to the professional integration of people with disabilities.
Philippe Pozzo di Borgo described his terrible fate in his biographical book “Le Second Souffle”, which is translated into Italian as “The Guardian devil” (Ponte alle Grazie). It was his resilience and fantastic will to live after the paragliding accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down that prompted directors Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache to write a screenplay about the unique relationship that develops between Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and his wife. babysitter Abdel Yasmin Sello is immortalized in the film by Omar Sy.
Following the news of the French entrepreneur’s death, the directors of the cinematic masterpiece, Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, expressed their feelings on Twitter: “It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of our friend Philippe Pozzo di Borgo. The adaptation of his story changed our lives and the lives of many vulnerable and fragile people.”
‘Almost Friends’ was a triumph when it was released in 2011 and has visited over 19 million theaters. At the time, the film became the biggest success of French cinema, downgrading Gérard Oury’s legendary “Three Men on the Run” (1966) to second place; This record was later broken by Dany Boon’s “Down North” (2008). About this blockbuster and the international phenomenon, the French press wrote: “It makes you burst into tears and cry with joy”.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
