'The Intouchables' inspiration Philippe Pozzo di Borgo dies

A quadriplegic French businessman whose moving story of his friendship with his carer was made into an international film hit has died in Marrakesh, Morocco, at the age of 72.

Philippe Pozzo di Borgo, the scion of an aristocratic Corsican family, was badly injured in a paragliding accident in 1993 and lost the use of all four limbs.

In his book, "Le Second Souffle" ("A Second Wind") which was the basis for the film "The Intouchables," he described how his friendship with his young Algerian carer, Abdel Yasmin Sellou, rescued him from a deep depression following the accident.

Before the accident, Pozzo di Borgo was the managing director of the champagne producer Pommery.

'Forever in our hearts'

Eric Toledano, who co-directed the 2011 film with Olivier Nakache, said Pozzo di Borgo's death was a "shock" and a reason for "great mourning."

In a statement, the two directors said, "By giving permission to have his story made into the film 'The Intouchables,' he changed our lives and the lives of many vulnerable and fragile people." 

The actor who played the part of Sellou in the film and won a Cesar award for his performance, Omar Sy, wrote on Instagram that Pozzo di Borgo was  "forever in our hearts."

The film, in which Pozzo di Borgo was played by Francois Cluzet, is one of the most popular French films of all time and scored a marked success around the world, particularly in Germany, where it was screened under the title "Ziemlich beste Freunde" ("Pretty Much Best Friends").

A US remake called "The Upside" was later released in 2017, starring Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart.

tj/rs (AFP, dpa)