On the set of What an era! this Saturday, November 9, Ael Pagny shared a moving memory of his father Florent Pagny, marking the end of a difficult period. The singer, who has been battling lung cancer for several months, was photographed by his daughter during his last radiotherapy session. Usually reserved and keen to protect their privacy, the Pagny family made an exception to engrave this moment of hope.
“It was not a reflex for me to take photos of my father undergoing treatment or at his worst. We are very modest in the family“explained the 25-year-old young woman. However, that day, the interpreter of Know how to love suggested to her daughter to capture this unique memory. “In fact, it was his last radiotherapy session. He said to himself, 'Come, take the photo, let's mark the occasion'”she explained.
The touching photo of Florent Pagny: a memory for the future
The photo from this last session is much more than just an image; it carries a message of hope and resilience. For Aël, it was a way of closing this difficult chapter with optimism. “It was a bit of a finale. We have the photo, the memory. We tell ourselves it's the last and we cross our fingers that it's the last“she confided on the set of What an era!
Ael shared this precious moment in a photo book entitled Pagny by Aelpublished by Harper Collins on his father's 63rd birthday, this Wednesday, November 6. Through this work, the young photographer immortalizes the career and the artist's intimate moments, mixing stage shots with other, more personal ones, such as that of his radiotherapy.
Florent Pagny did not hide his emotion at this touching gift. On Instagram, the artist posted a photo of her daughter holding the book, along with a heartfelt statement. “D-Day for my birthday, my best gift, the release of my daughter’s book”he wrote, testifying to his pride and the importance of this tribute in his life.
Fans of Florent Pagny can now discover in this photo book precious moments of his life, immortalized by his daughter. This project, initially thought to capture his 60th anniversary tour, has transformed into a poignant testimony of his fight against illnessas she revealed in a recent interview for Seven to Eight November 3, 2024.
The young woman with red hair explained: “It was quite a happy moment, it was the last one, we crossed our fingers, we hope there will be more. This feeling of having finished with something that was heavy, so it's like: 'come on, the last one'.”
For Ael, immortalizing these moments, even painful ones, is essential. Inca Pagny's sister confided to Audrey Crespo-Mara: “I really like nostalgia when I look at photos. It's marking, capturing moments and having my memory… If one day I lose my memory, I want to take photos of [mon père] to remind me.” This project, charged with emotion, undoubtedly contributed to bringing father and daughter even closer together, marking the journey of a man and a united family in the face of trials.
