Jack Lang on the death of Frederic Mitterrand: “2 days ago he told me that I think this is the end”

He testifies emotionally, searching for words to be as fair as possible. A little more hesitant than usual. Jack Lang wanted to honor his friend Frédéric Mitterrand, who died this Thursday, March 21, at the age of 76. “This is a sixty-year friendship, indelible,” recalls the former minister of culture. I can’t even count the years anymore. »

“My wife Monique and I loved Frederick passionately. He called me two days ago. His confession stunned me because he wanted to thank me for my loyalty to Francois. He wanted to greet me: I think this is the end, Jack… He admits that it was a painful moment. I can’t talk about it in the past tense. »

“He loved people. He had a form of condescension. She was a beautiful soul.”

“I admire his brilliant mind, his incredible erudition, his insatiable curiosity. He served art with tenderness. He was simultaneously a man of cinema, history, love and beauty, he emphasizes. He was extremely kind, always inclined to understand others, generous to an unimaginable degree. »

“I didn’t know everything about his personal life, but the little that I knew, I saw how he saved people, cared for so many people and always looked for satisfaction in others, the most beautiful thing,” Jack Lang also elaborates. He loved people. He had a form of condescension. She was a beautiful soul. He had a sense of fantasy and seriousness at the same time. »

“Yes, he was Nicolas Sarkozy’s minister of culture. And why not? No, I wasn’t angry, I loved him too much to be angry. Frederick was not a politician in the usual sense. He wasn’t engaged. He was deeply free. François Mitterrand greatly admired his nephew’s spirit of cultural adventure, especially when he created his chain of independent cinemas. He found her personality completely disgusting. Frederick had a very good life. »

Stefan Bern: “Fredo was my big brother”

TV presenter and Mr. Government’s legacy preserves memories full of tenderness and admiration for the man with whom he shared so many passions, like crowned heads.

“I’m very sad this evening. Fredo was my older brother. I was in almost all of his filming when he hosted On Fred’s Side in the ’90s. He was a great television character, but also a great documentary filmmaker: he changed the way historical documentaries were made. “Thunder Eagles” (Editor’s note: about the fall of monarchies at the beginning of the 20th century), what a miracle! His voice was magical. The bell rang and you were transferred. He was also a wonderful writer, a man of great culture: he read everything and about everything. He also had excellent human qualities. Frederick was very sensitive, gentle, affectionate. He was a “honest man” from the 17th century, brought into the 20th century. He could also tease a lot, be a bit of a “thug” and say inappropriate things during formal dinners. We had a lot in common. This form of nostalgia for the “past” is noteworthy. We had the same friends: the royal family of Greece, Jean-Louis Remiller, my producer, who was also his producer… The last time I spoke to him on the phone, I wanted to tell him that the king and queen of Cambodia were asking for this news. This was in November. He told me everything was fine… We’ve been keeping an eye on each other throughout our careers. Sometimes I think he felt some competition with me. In recent years he has become a little disillusioned. I suggested doing joint TV projects. After his ministry, I have the feeling that many people turned away from him and they no longer offered him much. I think he suffered from this. »