The fate of the Toulouse swimmer Alfred Nakache, survivor of the death camps, interpreted by Amir at the theater
To pay pay tribute to the victims of the attacks of Toulouse and Montauban in 2012, a great commemoration is organized on Sunday 20 March. After a ceremony in tribute to the victims of Mohamed Meraha play will be presented for the first time in France – the first took place in Tel Aviv – in Toulouse at 8:30 p.m. at the Halle aux Grains. This play: “Selected, the incredible destiny of the Auschwitz swimmer” is directed by Steve Suissa, with singer and performer Amir in the lead role.
Is it important for you to come and present this piece in Toulouse on March 20, on this very special and painful anniversary date?
I am first of all very moved because I have been working on this subject for three years, tracing the life of the immense swimmer Alfred Nakache, who was deported, saved and who spent part of his life in Toulouse. I have already worked in the theater on tragic destinies, like that of Anne Frank, by Simon Wiesenthal. And there, it seemed very important to me that people and new generations meet the story of this character that is Alfred Nakache, French and Algerian, Jewish and who made his destiny something incredible since he was afraid of water and his father threw him in the water. He was a brave, strong-willed young boy who became a champion swimmer.
Who offered you to perform the play in Toulouse as part of the commemorations?
few years, I have been one of the sponsors since the Ozar Hatorah school in Toulouse, and at the very beginning the president of the CRIF (Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France) asked me if I wanted to stage the tribute of the afternoon. Finally, we will end this day with a show on resilience.
Let’s go back to the story of Alfred Nakache: he began his immense career as a swimmer in Paris, then with his Jewish family he came to take refuge in Toulouse, in the free zone. What does it represent for you?
It embodies values that must not disappear in the world in which we live. It’s respect, justice, will, courage, surpassing oneself. Values that today are fundamental for the construction of a human being and for a better world.
You have chosen the Franco-Israeli singer and performer Amir to play the role of Alfred Nakache. Why ?
Because he resembles Alfred Nakache in his will to succeed, in his courage, he resembles him in his determination. I don’t like to respect codes or boxes too much. It happened to me to mix on stage Régis Laspalès and Francis Huster or to bring on stage Michel Sardou. I don’t have a problem with that. I think an artist can do anything, I create challenges and challenges, and he will perform even better.
He has never done theatre, how did he manage to put himself in the shoes of such a character?
He entered total immersion with absolute concentration. On a lot worked. He made a preparation worthy of a physical preparation, that is to say that he even had swimming lessons with a champion. And he wanted to play the game of great theater actors, it’s not at all the same thing as shooting in a TV movie. [
La première de votre pièce a été jouée à Tel-Aviv, en Israël. Est-ce que la famille d’Alfred Nakache était là ?
Il y avait des cousins et cousines qui sont montés sur scène à la fin, qui étaient très très émus. On a considéré la famille Nakache depuis le début. Ils ont lu la pièce, on en a parlé. On est resté dans un respect total. Ils ont trouvé que c’était fidèle à l’homme qu’il était, le but est que ce soit un honneur et rien d’autre.