Michel de Robert recounts his childhood spent deep in a forest with his brother

It is his story that is told in the film “Brothers” which is released in theaters on Wednesday. Michel and his brother Patrice, abandoned as children by their parents, lived for seven years left to their own devices in a forest. Franceinfo met one of the heroes who inspired this film.

Brothers, this is one of the films released on Wednesday April 24 on the big screen, it is above all the true story of two children from the post-World War I era. Two half-brothers: Michel and Patrice, 5 and 7 years old, abandoned by their parents and who will live for seven years left to their own devices in a forest in Charente-Maritime. Story of abandonment, of survival, but above all of a unique relationship that is created between them. Michel de Robert, the surviving brother, is now approaching 80 years old and agreed to tell this story to franceinfo.

During these seven years, they stole chickens, hunted rabbits, gathered wild fruits, built three cabins in all. But ultimately, these seven years spent in the forest, abandoned by everyone, and this very harsh school of life left Michel with rather happy memories today.

“The brambles and branches that are 2.50 m long, you remove the thorns, you twist the vine, you make ropes. That gives you blackberries to eat. The bramble shoots in spring are like asparagus. If you can’t go to the river, you climb trees, you have slings, you can shoot, you can run in the fields where there’s no one who’s going to tell you anything, but it’s. is great”remembers Michel.

Unconditional love

But this life has not been without difficulties. “On the other hand, in the 1950s, winters were much colder than today. You fall asleep in each other’s arms because there is no other solution than to give each other warmth. to both of you. You don’t feel like you’re saying ‘hold on.’me so that I can warm you up’, it’s more important than that. It’s: ‘I hold you close so that you live'”testifies Michel.

After seven years in the forest, the two children were picked up by their mother, but immediately sent to a foster family who separated them. Without doubt the worst of all ordeals. Everyone follows their own path. Michel becomes an architect, Patrice a doctor. But the eldest, who cannot overcome his discomfort, will end up killing himself, despite the support of the younger. “The love we developed as children and these siblings…”begins Michel.

“You have to understand that to save him, I would have left absolutely everything. Everything. I would have gone to the ends of the earth.”

Michel de Robert

at franceinfo

But “when Patrice killed himself, I couldn’t standhe confides. I had an extremely difficult time. The ambivalence of knowing ‘are you staying or are you going?’, ‘are you going to join him or are you staying here?’ I had a son, I stayed”he says.

But his brother isn’t completely gone. “Every year, I go ten days into the desert and I spend ten days alone. But during these ten days alone, I am with him”confesses Michel de Robert.