Géraldine Danon: “The film “Flo” is my Route du Rhum! »

Your first feature film, Flo, just got out. Make our mouths water…

Free, excessive and generous, Florence Arthaud fought to find a place in the world of sailing, paving the way for an entire generation of female skippers. But this was not without extreme fragility, especially when she returned to land.

What does this film reveal about you?

The friendship that bound us. Flo was my close friend and my son’s godmother. We were similar: she found the strength to win races, as I find the strength to make films. This biopic is my very own Route du Rhum!

What movie could you watch a hundred times?

Amadeus , by Milos Forman. Its narrative intensity inspires me.

The person who meant the most in your family?
My parents, now deceased. My mother was the daughter of the film distributor Maurice Jacquin. As for my father, a producer, he notably accompanied Things of life . They passed on to me the love of cinema.

An important place for you?

Since the premature birth of my son Loup, twenty-three years ago, I have assiduously attended the chapel on rue du Bac (Paris) and I always carry a miraculous medal with me. This was also the case for Flo. In his old boat, Peter I restored for filming, we had the emotion of finding one of his medals…

Your good plan to reconnect with nature?

Diving in the ocean and swimming a lot, even in 10 degree water. I often need to go to the seaside, to my house in Finistère, between Île-Tudy and Sainte-Marine.

A gesture of sobriety that is part of your daily life?

Reduce waste as much as possible. This is essential during our crossings with Philippe (navigator Philippe Poupon, Editor’s note) and our children. On land and at sea, we try to be economical with water and electricity.

A quality that you will be proud to pass on to your children? Believe in yourself, in your dreams and in your guardian angel.

We must know how to rely on God, in all humility.

The beauty that will save the world? That of the poles, thunderous and transcendent. These magnificent and hostile spaces inspired touching words to the explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot. I feel both vulnerable and extremely alive there.