A new film about the legendary regiment «Normandie-Niemen» co-production of Belarus, Russia and France will be as close to the actual events. This was stated by the French actor Gerard Depardieu (GERARD DEPARDIEU) in an interview with TV channel «Belarus 1», informs «Pacific Russia».
«Working on the project» Normandie-Niemen «, we will based on the testimonies of people participating in those events, including General de Gaulle, who described it in his memoirs, to recreate the truth, the real story of the regiment», — he said.
Depardieu thus negatively spoke about the attempts to rewrite and distort the history of World War II. «It’s just ignorance of people who do not know or just a story, or deliberately distort it», — he said.
Renowned actor last week visited Belarus. On the mound of Fame near Minsk, he paid tribute to the fallen in the Great Patriotic War and laid flowers at the monument.
Depardieu had brought with him to Minsk, the producer of the future film, tentatively called «Normandy-Neman». The project is timed to the 70th anniversary of the Victory. In the film, Depardieu will play a major role.
Actor took to his residence «Lake» near Minsk, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The Head of State showed his guest residence and taught him hand-scythe mowing. «I had heard about Belarus, but did not think that everything will be just this: I see the wide streets, the cleanliness, I have not seen here tramps, young girls can safely walk at night, it is a real pleasure, as if you were in Switzerland» — said the actor. At the same time he expressed his surprise at the fact that «there are some people who have created a negative cliché about Belarus.»
«Normandy-Neman» was formed at the initiative of the leader of «Fighting France» General Charles de Gaulle. In accordance with the agreement signed in November 1942, the Soviet Union arrived 72 French volunteers — pilots and mechanics. At their disposal they got Yak-1, Yak-9 and Yak-3, which helps to maintain a group of Soviet specialists. Initially squadron wore the name of «Normandy», and in autumn 1944 for heroism in battle as they crossed the river Neman has transformed air unit in fighter regiment got its historical name.
At the end of his mission in June 1945 «Normandie-Niemen» returned to France. In the postwar years, as agreed in Moscow and Paris, the remains of those buried in the Soviet Union of French airmen were transferred to their homeland. In 2006, Vladimir Putin and Jacques Chirac opened at Le Bourget memorial dedicated to Russian-French brotherhood-in-arms.
«Normandy-Neman» — the ordenonosnogo regiment in France. Its pilots flew 5,240 sorties and conducted nearly 900 air battles, according to Tass.
Far Eastern origins of brotherhood
Our countrymen, pilots from the Far East, fought with the French side by side — Regiment, which in 1943 became a squadron of fighting France, was formed in the Far East in 1938. From June to July 1943 Fighter Group №3 «Normandie ‘was the 4th squadron of the 18th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, which is based before the war in the Far East. Soviet pilots French pilots were introduced in fights carefully. The first flight in 1943, he was tasked to cover (protect) the French to attack enemy fighters.