In the parking lot of Michel Catalano's printing works, in Dammartin-en-Goële (Seine-et-Marne), the ballet of employees and delivery trucks takes place calmly. In the offices, a tree still bears witness to the end-of-year celebrations. Nothing shows what happened here on January 9, 2015, two days after the Charlie Hebdo massacre.
Nothing, except the two vintage cars riddled with bullets at the back of the field, and these memories that Michel Catalano still keeps as a scar. “I kept these two cars and a frame with a bullet hole. I need it, it helps me. It reminds me that this day existed. One day, maybe, I will get rid of it, but for now, I still need it.”
“Rise up where I fell”
Ten years after his hostage taking by the Kouachi brothers, he tries to rebuild himself, just as he rebuilt his printing works. Held for nearly an hour by the two terrorists, he tried everything to save his colleague, who was then hidden under a sink. Both men were saved.
In the assault, during which the terrorists were finally killed by the GIGN, part of its printing works premises were destroyed. Michel Catalano then had only one idea, to rebuild his printing house to “be able to get up where I had fallen”.
In 2016, he managed to relaunch his activity, thanks to the support of his loved ones, collecting donations on the internet and compensation from the State and insurance companies. Ten years later, he decided to make a book about it.
A story that he agreed to share with us in the video at the top of this article.
