Alain Delon is one of the pillars of French cinema but it is not only in France that his talent shines. Also in Ukraine. Guest of Cyril Viguier in the show Facing the territories on TV5 Monde, Vadym Omelchenko, the country’s ambassador to France, underlined how important Alain Delon was in Ukrainian culture: “When I was seven, my mom took me to see a movie, La Tulipe Noire”. A feature film that will change his life: “[Elle] took me by the hand to do some fencing. I spent ten years practicing this sport“. The hero of La Tulipe Noire by Christian-Jaque is none other than Alain Delon,”face of French cinema” in Ukraine : “In Soviet times, when there was the iron curtain, we imagined France thanks to the cinema. One of his faces was Alain Delon.“
Admiring his talent, the country has made him a priority in the local cultural milieu: “This is also the reason why the Ukrainian cultural center is located at 22 avenue de Messine, a mansion that once belonged to Alain Delon.” This tribute does not stop there since, as Vadym Omelchenko points out, a room is totally dedicated to Alain Delon: “We created a piece in his honour. It is a sign of recognition on the part of the Ukrainian State, on the part of the Ukrainian people, the recognition of Alain Delon’s contribution to universal culture. It’s a small, modest gesture and we decided to do it. I obtained the agreement of President Zelensky who warmly supported this idea. This room already exists and we are waiting for Alain Delon to visit us.“
Cyril Viguier can only understand this beautiful tribute to Alain Delon, he who, some time earlier, had the honor of interviewing the actor after his stroke. The journalist had not hidden all the admiration he had for him in the columns of Paris Match : “He’s a fighter. […] He thus expressed throughout the interview the desire to shoot a last film, his last film. He even says on TV that this might be his best. This proves his optimistic and positive character that people don’t know because he probably let a form of nostalgia and regret for the past show too much. He wants to continue his life“.
Alain Delon is one of the most prestigious guests that Cyril Viguier has been able to interview during his career. Prince Albert of Monaco, a string of politicians such as Gérard Collomb, Edouard Philippe, Emmanuel Macron before he was elected President of the Republic and Nicolas Sarkozy have also appeared in his broadcasts, but not only. Athletes have also agreed to speak with him, like ex-swimmer Camille Lacourt and judoka Teddy Riner.