After the Bible, the most translated work in the world is “The Little Prince”. This shows that the tale of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry – which exists in 535 languages and dialects – is universal. And its author, iconic. Disappeared at sea aboard his plane just 80 years ago, the aviator and writer comes back to life in the cinema in the biopic “Saint-Ex” (December 11 in theaters). Louis Garrel lends him his features and his voice. We therefore asked the French actor to comment on some of the best-known phrases of the famous Aéropostale pilot.
“We only see clearly with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eyes.”
This sentence makes me think of cinema, of how we manage to translate an emotion visually, without words. Recently, I rewatched an Antonioni film called “The Eclipse” and with very few words, very little story, we can feel in an almost metaphysical way what it is like to be in life. That’s what cinema is. When I accept a film, it’s because I have a primal desire, a desire to play it. Of course, we can make thoughtful career choices, but the best ones are still the ones that come from the gut.
“I am from my childhood as from a country.”
It’s really very beautiful, that. It’s true that childhood is a kind of territory, where we discover everything: sexuality, war, violence… But it’s also a kingdom, which we lose at a given moment. Perhaps some people, like Saint-Exupéry or François Truffaut, remain connected with the child they were, whom they have neither lost nor buried. There is something similar in the actor, because our job consists of cultivating acting. For example, I shot “Saint-Ex” in the studio, on a blue background, so I had to pretend to be caught in a sandstorm or being cold. At first it’s a little terrifying, but after a while you free yourself.
“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
While the human species should have more evolved reflexes, a panic in the face of extinction, the majority continue to believe that the Earth is not going to collapse. We are perhaps less intelligent than certain scientific findings suggest. At my level, what do I do that could resemble ecological awareness? I don’t have a car. It’s what I do best. I have electric bikes. But it’s also because I love riding an electric bike! (Laughing) I try to buy as few products packaged in plastic as possible, and to sort waste too, but I feel a bit like an ant faced with a dinosaur’s task.
“We are also rich in our miseries.”
At the same time, our miseries can also change us and for the worse. Sometimes bad memories lead you to become bitter. However, the bitterness that awaits us is dangerous. It’s something that scares me. I really admire people who, although they have had many disappointments, remain very optimistic and open-minded. I like this ethical position towards the world. You have to be lucid, but I naturally trust people. I hope I never become cynical.
