the essential
The Lot-et-Garonnais Jean-Claude Ricquebourg is the brand new face of Christopher Columbus in the documentary film “The DNA of Christopher Columbus: a documentary which reveals his true origins”, filmed in Spain.
Jean-Claude Ricquebourg has lived and worked in Spain for 22 years, but has kept Lot-et-Garonne, his original department, at his heart. “I am a former Agenais resident, I spent my entire childhood and part of my adolescence there, and I come back two or three times a year because I have a good friend there,” he explains. “But I’m not yet very well known in France, because I’m based in Barcelona.” Actor and screenwriter, graduate in English and Hispanic philology, he has just lent his features to a Genoese who entered history: Christopher Columbus.
Genoa… or maybe not. The man who wanted to go to India and discovered America instead would have been born in Spain, Portugal or even Majorca depending on the hypotheses. “In 2022, three men teamed up to put together a docu-drama following in the explorer’s footsteps: award-winning executive producers Regis Francisco López and Ainhoa del Castillo, and director of photography Hernán Pérez,” continues Jean-Claude Ricquebourg. , fascinated by the story of the explorer.
“We are deciphering its DNA to understand where it came from”
The original title is “Colón ADN, su verdadero origen”. Since 2022, Jean-Claude Ricquebourg has let himself be possessed by his illustrious character. He even had trouble getting rid of it. “This is of particular importance to us since those who have followed the case for twenty years will finally discover its outcome. Our documentary will be broadcast in prime time on Radiotelevisión Española.
Photo – Jean-Claude Ricquebourg
In addition to solving a historical enigma, the team made a point of filming at iconic sites associated with Columbus such as the Church of San Jorge in Palos de la Frontera, where he received the blessing the day before his journey, as well as the quay of the caravels of the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria nave. “We trace his life, but above all, we decipher his DNA to understand where he came from.”
A bomb
For Jean-Claude Ricquebourg, this is the opportunity to launch “a real bomb!”
Accustomed to filming in Spain and abroad (as far as Iran, where he played a key role in the series “Everlasting Days”), Jean-Claude Ricquebourg says he is honored to have been able to lend his features to a historical figure of this scale. “The funny thing is that until now, only French actors have played Columbus on screen, including Gérard Depardieu.”
However, from Jean-Claude Ricquebourg’s point of view, the documentary could spark controversy, due to the revelations about the origin of Columbus. “Some will accept this result, others may strongly contest it. In any case, it will be a major revelation.” A case to follow closely for the Lot-et-Garonnais actor.
DNA, a Columbus egg
“This project was already a good twenty years old,” says Jean-Claude Ricquebourg. “In 2003, on the initiative of the historian Don Marcial Castro, the remains of Columbus were exhumed from the cathedral of Seville, for an in-depth analysis of their DNA.”
The path was not easy. “The research was suspended for 16 years, in particular because of the scarcity and degradation of the bone samples taken.” At the head of this vast genetic investigation, Professor José Antonio Lorente, expert in forensic medicine. “Scientific and technological progress over the last twenty years has made it possible to relaunch analyzes using new DNA extraction and purification techniques,” continues the Agen actor.
A portion of the bone samples was sent to independent laboratories in Italy and Texas. Under the supervision of Professor Lorente, scientists from the University of Granada, as well as those in Rome and Mexico, were instrumental in analyzing the remains of Christopher Columbus. “These results could shake up many preconceived ideas about its origin,” concludes Jean-Claude Ricquebourg.
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