The director Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar is adapting the life of Philippe Croizon for the cinema with “Pour le meilleur,” in theaters on Wednesday. The athlete, who is amputated of all his limbs, and his partner Suzana Sabino recounted their emotions of seeing their journey on the big screen on RMC this Saturday, far from “pathos.”
With “Pour le meilleur,” in theaters on April 22, director Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar delivers a biopic but above all a story of love and resilience. The film tells the story of Philippe Croizon, who became an athlete after the amputation of all his limbs, as well as that of Suzana Sabino, his partner.
“We cried from the beginning to the end”
They admit that seeing themselves on the screen was an intense and unexpected experience. “It was an incredible emotional moment,” Philippe Croizon shared with RMC this Saturday, still moved by the first screening. “We cried from the beginning to the end.” Suzana Sabino also describes it as an intimate experience: “It’s funny to see my story, I share it with so many people. I detached myself from the actor and we reviewed our life journey on the screen,” he continued. In the film, Pierre Rabine portrays Philippe Croizon while Lilly-Fleur Pointeaux plays Suzana Sabino.
An encounter… on a dating app
The story of this man, now 58 years old, a former worker, is known by some, at least in broad strokes: the accident in 1994, the amputations, and then the sporting achievements, including swimming across the English Channel. “Pour le meilleur” mainly tells a story of an encounter. The one that brings together Philippe Croizon and Suzana Sabino, who met on a dating app after a series of failures.
“For more than ten months, I only had failures,” he recalled. Until he came across Suzana’s profile and decided to joke about her baldness. She responded. A bond was formed, even before the physical meeting: “We told each other ‘I love you’ over the phone.”
“Self-surpassing” and the conditions of caregivers
The film emphasizes what Suzana Sabino calls “self-surpassing” and “self-giving.” She also claims another, more political aspect: the visibility of caregivers. “There are 11 million caregivers in France, but we never talk about them,” she pointed out. “Today, they are in the spotlight.” A role often invisible but central in their story. “Without Suzana, there is nothing. It’s not possible,” Philippe Croizon acknowledged.
Two years of intense training, a family life put on hold, constant fatigue. “Training completely swallowed me,” Suzana Sabino admitted. “It was a sacrifice of two years where I didn’t have a single day of rest.” A reality that the film does not seek to soften, on the contrary.
“We added humor, it’s very important”
The film doesn’t forget humor, quite the opposite. “It’s not a pathos film, it’s a film full of energy,” Philippe Croizon insisted. This energy is also reflected in the way the disability is approached, without detours or excessive solemnity. “We added jokes because it’s very important,” he explained. The family is very present in the film. Five children, now joined by grandchildren. “We love them very, very much.”
During the previews, “the first ones to ask questions were the children,” observed Philippe Croizon. “They had just seen something amazing.” Like a concrete demonstration that limits can be pushed.
