Paris Manga 2018

nicolemj@otenet.gr
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Re: Paris Manga 2018

Post by nicolemj@otenet.gr »

Thank you Heltihes for the wonderful news. So nice we'll have the chance to enjoy Rick again on stage. I would like to wish to the lucky ladies who will go to Paris to meet THE MAN, to have a great time.
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Elo250GTO
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Re: Paris Manga 2018

Post by Elo250GTO »

I’ m in too ! ( pass vip sci-fi , photoshoot and autograph) can’t Wait !
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bftlovesRDA
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Re: Paris Manga 2018

Post by bftlovesRDA »

To all those who are going to see Richard in February in Paris - THAT IS SO WONDERFUL FOR YOU!!!!!!! Please tell him that the best wishes of all his wild loyalists here at the rdanderson.com forum go with you and to him.

And, if possible, please report back with photos (again, if possible), or videos or just your comments from your time with our beloved RDA.

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D
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Annelies
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Re: Paris Manga 2018

Post by Annelies »

I can't wait to hear all the stories!!!! Wishing you LOTS of fun l!!
Lots of love,

Lies

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PamK1950
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Re: Paris Manga 2018

Post by PamK1950 »

tvero80 wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2017 2:54 pm
Macphoenix wrote: Sat Dec 02, 2017 8:37 pm I'm in :) :) ;) ;)
I'm in too!!! This is going to be my best name day ever !!! (I hope ;) )
YAY!!!!! So happy for you V ♥♥♥♥♥
If you can't say anything nice.....

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frenchwriter
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Re: Paris Manga 2018

Post by frenchwriter »

Very happy to be there soon... :D 💕
I'm sure you'll have a lots of photos !!! Do you know Frenchies...we are absolutely wild loyalists... :lol: ;) ;) :oops: :oops:
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Elo250GTO
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Re: Paris Manga 2018

Post by Elo250GTO »

Yesterday I was in Paris manga show. After the event I had a ferrari meeting in paris in the evening ( I work for ferrari Cap d’agde) . So I decided to go to the Paris manga with my ferrari clothes. It was just perfect :lol: indeed Richard noticed it , it was fun especially at the conférence where I asked a question. All the day richard was so kind with his fans. He is really an outstanding man . He is so devoted to his fans . He Went on signing after the closing of the mango show . Image
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Irina
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Re: Paris Manga 2018

Post by Irina »

Elo250GTO wrote: Mon Feb 05, 2018 2:26 pm Yesterday I was in Paris manga show...
Thank you very much for sharing the event and the photos! Richard looks great! He is really a wonderful person! 💕
"It's very difficult to say "goodbye" to someone who means so much... "
("To be a Man")
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Annelies
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Re: Paris Manga 2018

Post by Annelies »

Wow, Thanks for sharing.. Sounds like a fantastic weekend!!
Lots of love,

Lies

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frenchwriter
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Re: Paris Manga 2018

Post by frenchwriter »

Hi to all.

I would like to share with you a text I wrote about my fantastic Sunday at Paris Manga with some friends. It is on my website too (http://dominique-guenin-auteure.com)
As you know, I like to write; Richard is a better subject of inspiration. :D :D
Thank to Kate for allowing me to post it.

I hope I don't bother you too much with my prose...

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ENSLISH:


Richard Dean Anderson in Paris Manga: February the 4th, 2018.
“A too brief stopover in Paris ...”



Who said Richard Dean Anderson was a man from the past?

He has never been so popular and loved by fans who have been loyal to him for over thirty years, although he no longer appears on our TV screens. We can thank the "reruns" that offer us his excellent performances in the so charismatic characters MacGyver or O'Neill (with two "L"). They even make and swell the ranks of fans who turn out to be younger and younger. Because, make no mistake, the international success of these two series cults (MacGyver and Stargate SG1) would probably not have been as dazzling without the presence of Richard - although he refutes it totally and with humility – we, we are all perfectly convinced.

A few tens of thousands of participants rushed to meet, on this unique day of February 4, 2018 at the Convention Paris Manga, a man with such a big heart! The fans’ waiting was long but the pleasure was palpable among all the people gathered by this same dream. The first meeting is a source of intense emotion that many lucky people have shared widely on social media since Richard agreed to join conventions, just a dozen years ago. And a first meeting is rarely the last. When we have tasted Richard's kindness, humor, adorable smile and his undeniable empathy, it is very difficult not to want to find these extraordinary sensations again.

- SESSION AUTOGRAPHS –

10:30 am this Sunday morning, Richard begins his marathon-day. All united in the same moment of fervor, we began to start the queue not less than two hours before his arrival, to be the first ! Well we took, because the compact and impatient crowd quickly concentrated in only one direction: Richard Dean Anderson autographs desk! It was enough for him to spread the black curtain which was separating him from his fans that the same "heart" of applause celebrate his arrival. As always, his smile immediately delighted the hundreds of looks turned towards him.

"No gift" was written on a small sign placed on the desk that welcomed him for two hours of intensive dedications. Richard didn’t hesitate to make us understand, by miming a sad smile on his mouth, that he was sorry. He knows his fans so well and their desire to give him those little presents in which they put their love and gratitude, that this embarrassing warning to the attention of his "French friends" was as painful to him as to us. But it’s obvious that an extra trunk full of gifts of all sizes, would have been a source of hassle for his plane return to Los Angeles.

When came my turn, I reminded him I was the author of his French biography. He had a delicious smile and told me that my book was prominently on his Los Angeles home desk but, alas, he was still unable to read it (he doesn’t speak French). I told him that the translation was on its way and probably completed before the end of the year, he confirmed that he was eager to finally read it. I couldn’t resist the urge to take his hand and kiss it.

Patiently and with unique kindness, Richard accompanied each autograph with a smile, a word, a handshake; listening kindly to everyone's words of congratulation and affection.

"He's really a love! She exclaimed, joining us outside the signing area still trembling with emotion. We, of course, totally agreed with her! We looked like eight totally infantilized accomplices. But no matter, it's so good to find back your teenage soul!

- THE CONFERENCE –

On the way to the rest of the program: Richard's conference. It had to take place around 13:30. We had time before us, but not too much anyway, because it was imperative to be well placed to enjoy him, the closest possible of the podium. After a quick visit to the Sea Shepherd booth, we decided to join the Sci-Fi area, where seats were already occupied. We were almost certain that these people wouldn’t move from their seats in the front ranks until Richard's intervention. They were there for him, there was no doubt. We had to content ourselves with the 4th rank; it wasn’t so bad, finally. Everything seemed to be going well.

The minutes were spinning and on the screen were projecting pictures and movie that we watched intermittently and with no real interest, patiently waiting for the one who was still finishing signing hundreds of autographs. Looking in his direction, the queue seemed to never get smaller. The fans were so numerous that the organizers were forced to ask Richard to extend this first signing session, which he of course accepted without hesitation. Thus, he reduced his lunch break time by at least a good hour, but the triumph of his rare appearances in France is at this price! He had a program - very busy - to hold, and he wouldn’t run, otherwise he wouldn’t be called Richard Dean Anderson!

Finally, the minutes gradually brought us closer to the long-awaited moment. The seats were now all occupied. Fans crowded every corner of the Sci-Fi space, wherever it was possible to have a chance to see the one for whom they had sometimes made hundreds or thousands of miles. The place was crowded.

The event’s announcer and organizer finally came on stage to announce the one that was not necessary to name as the fervor of the public was already at its maximum. But the paroxysm was reached as soon as Richard appeared, because the ovation that was made to him exceeded the understanding! His astonishment at this pyroclastic flow was certain and real. In Paris Manga 25 years’s memory, nothing like this had ever been recorded; this was confirmed by the organizer himself. The shouts of joy, the standing applause and the flashes were everywhere, making our Richard unable to say a word, moved by so much love.

Then calm returned. The time of the Conference was short, timed even because; a few steps away, the photo session queue had already made its mark. Just five or six questions time and Richard should leave the scene. As usual, his charisma was on and we were all under his charm during his intervention. Humor as battlehorse, he enchanted us with his tasty answers. In particular the one he made to a question of a fan about the politics of his country, he presented us with "his excuses for having a silly, incapable and crazy president". As everyone expected, he had to go through MacGyver's reboot. A "special Richard" mimic, like no other, led to a general complicit laughter from the part of all the spectators. But he remained "polite and professional" (said Richard) to confirm that the series didn’t correspond to "the Macgyver trademark" but rather to a basic police series and the opposite of the series in which he played. The audience, with one voice, welcomed his words with sustained applause.

As for the question about his favorite scenes with Amanda Tapping (Sam Carter in Stargate SG1), we expected of course the answer he was going to give: "Kissing" with a hilarious and communicative serious, adding with humor "Don’t tell her husband. ".

Alas, time was running out and was over, but Richard didn’t want to leave his "French friends" as he said and got a small few minutes extension for two or three additional questions. The audience was jubilant, but the fans, in the queue next door, began to chanted «Richard! Richard ", to get his attention and show him their impatience. With kindness, he gave them a friendly sign. In less than five minutes, he would be up for the highly anticipated photo shoot.

The Conference ended with a new titanic ovation in a standing room, which still demanded his presence, to which he was compelled to escape. And everyone left his seat to inflate the staggering queue that stood in front of the photo studio. A tiny pinch of seconds of happiness captured, forever, on glossy paper by a professional photographer ... More than six hundred people realized a kind of farandole that zigzagged between the waiting corridors and stretched well beyond the limits provided.

- PHOTO SESSION-

Our little group had managed to sneak up pretty quickly outside of the Sci-Fi Conference space. Our VIP-pass around our neck gave us some very nice facilities on queues. The distance finally shortened fast enough. New heartbeats crescendo for each of us as our steps lead us to him. It was already time to get rid of our bags and jackets. We walked one behind the other, closely led by the volunteers who made sure that their instructions were respected.

This feeling of living a unique moment where a cliché will offer this impression of being alone in the world with Him! How to place yourself? Dare to surround him with our arms? What reaction will he have? And then, everything is perfect and unfolds like a dream ... A dream of just ten seconds.

Upon our exit, we were able to realize that the photo shoot would last a long time, given the queue still very long.

- SEA SHEPHERD –

Before meet and greet, I had a little time to meet one of the managers of Sea Sepherd France, present this Sunday. He knew all benefits of my book "Richard Dean Anderson, Mind and Heart," will be done to Sea Shepherd, dedicated to Richard. I had managed permission to put some copies of my book, a dozen, on the stand; all were sold. I was thrilled and proud because the donation I made to Sea Shepherd was bigger than expected thanks to these sold today. I told I was planning to sell more books for Sea Shepherd. I hoped to continue selling others books in favor of Sea Shepherd after these ones.

-MEET AND GREET –

Soon we were invited to go to the location where the meet & greet participants would be welcomed. But a new program change was waiting for Richard as he finished his long photo shoot very quickly. The compact queue in front of the autograph table was as big as the morning. Impossible to split it in two as agreed by inserting the meet & greet between the two. It was better to do only one, until the closure of the Convention scheduled for 18H.

Almost immediately, we disappeared behind the big black curtain.
Decor and atmosphere little inclined to discuss in small committee ... The hubbub outside promised minutes - yet privileged - hardly profitable. If the management of the session-photos was perfect, that of the meet & greet left something to be desired and even more when we came to announce that it would last only ten minutes instead of the twenty initially planned! Our long awaited moment of conviviality was going to be swept away, too, by the diabolical machination of time! But Richard appeared on the doorstep and our disappointment flew away instantly.

Magnanimously, he motioned us to get as close as possible to the table. It was necessary to hope to hear our discussions. A translator stood next to him to help us, a priori. But, it turned out pretty quickly that she was a bit "outdated", probably the tiredness of a long exhausting weekend (to stay "polite and professional" as Richard would say). He may have understood this state of affairs well before us, because he asked us who knew English and who did not speak it. The majority of us could manage but not all. It seemed that this notion had gone unnoticed by the translator.

Who's starting, asked Richard? No quick answer. So I took the initiative because I had a question about his involvement with the Waterkeeper Alliance a few years ago. Impossible to build a complete sentence in English. So I tried to formulate it in French hoping to be translated, but the interpreter's questioning face made me realize that the path of understanding between us would be fraught with pitfalls. When Richard participated in the Earth River Expeditions program with Eric Hertz for National Geographic, he had a particular experience with the Yang-Tze descent and his encounter with Tibet had transformed him. I wanted him to tell us about his feelings. I also wanted to know if he could have returned or if he was hoping to do so in the future. With difficulty - and the minutes that went by - Richard finally understood my question and, in the same chaotic way, his answer came back to me. It was almost impossible to return to Tibet because of political problems with China. But he had recently received a proposal to return to Chile for an expedition on the Rio Futaleufu. He was « very eager to participate because he had loved these expeditions by the past. »

There was another amateur to ask a question in decent English, speaking directly to Richard, but half of the participants couldn’t hear her. The noise outside was so disturbing that Richard felt the need to show his annoyance, but always in the joking tone, with a loud shout that provoked the laughter of the whole little assembly. A small blue cap, that of his bottle of water, was placed a few inches from my hand. He sneaked a finger to bring him discreetly back to him a few millimeters; I pushed him in my direction, then we continued to have fun as well until he grabbed it and closed his bottle. A stealthy moment of play that made us both smile. Then, with his usual naturalness, he noticed the pair of glasses that my friend Josyane was wearing. She presented it to him, showed him that it was dismounting to put different colors mounts. He even amused himself by wearing it to try it, which again provoked a general laugh.

But, already, an incursion in our small room reminded him that it was necessary to stop because the fans were impatient to obtain their dedication. As usual, Richard wanted to prolong our discussion and showed us his dismay; we didn’t want to go that fast either. But he understood that outside, a crowd was waiting for moment of unforgettable happiness!

It was over, we were returning from our steps, not really decided, to reality on the other side of the big black curtain. In a split second, the wave of fans caught him in a burst of joy and we had to give him to them. Richard was no longer ours; he had been for about fifteen minutes. We would nevertheless keep the memory of a nice complicity, the space of a subreptice parallel dimension the most pleasant that is ...

- EPILOGUE-

The doors of Paris Manga were closing; however, Richard wasn’t at the end of his troubles. Inconceivable for him to disappoint his fans, it was not part of his vocabulary. Thus, it would remain until the last dedication so patiently waited by the person at the end of the queue, must he spend the night!

He signed the last autograph around 8 pm, nearly two hours after the official closing of the Convention! That's Richard Dean Anderson too! A man who is infinitely respectful of those who love him, even if he was on his own health.
And we can say that this “day-marathon” would probably not have been performed with so many smiles and good mood by any other artist!


Richard Dean Anderson in Paris Manga: February the 4th, 2018.
“A too brief stopover in Paris ...”
©Dominique Guenin (07/02/2018)


Translated in English by Josyane Floderer

------------------

FRENCH

Richard Dean Anderson à Paris Manga : 04/02/2018
Une trop brève escale à Paris…


Qui a dit que Richard Dean Anderson faisait partie du passé ?

Il n’a jamais été aussi populaire et adoré par des fans qui lui sont fidèles parfois depuis plus de trente années, bien qu’il n’apparaisse plus sur nos écrans de télévision. Nous pouvons remercier les « rediffusions » qui nous offrent ses excellentes prestations dans la peau ô combien charismatique de MacGyver ou O’Neill (avec deux « L »). Elles font même et toujours gonfler les rangs des fans qui se révèlent être de plus en plus jeunes. Car, ne nous y trompons pas, le succès international de ces deux séries cultes (MacGyver et Stargate SG1) n’aurait sans doute pas été aussi fulgurant sans la présence de Richard – bien que celui-ci le réfute totalement et avec humilité – nous en sommes tous parfaitement convaincus.

Quelques dizaines de milliers de participants se sont pressés pour rencontrer, lors de cette unique journée du 4 février 2018 à la Convention Paris Manga, un homme avec un cœur gros comme ça ! L’attente était longue mais le plaisir était palpable parmi tous les gens réunis par ce même rêve. La première rencontre est une source d’émotion intense que nombre de chanceux partagent largement sur les réseaux sociaux depuis que Richard a accepté de participer à des Conventions il y a une douzaine d’années à peine. Et une première rencontre reste rarement la dernière. Lorsque l’on a gouté à la gentillesse, l’humour, l’adorable sourire de Richard et son incontestable empathie, il est bien difficile de ne pas vouloir retrouver ces sensations extraordinaires une nouvelle fois.

- SEANCE AUTOGRAPHES -


10h30, ce dimanche matin, Richard entame sa journée-marathon. Tous unis dans un même élan de ferveur, nous avons commencé à nous placer dans la file d’attente pas moins de deux heures avant son arrivée, pour être les premiers ! Grand bien nous en a pris, car la foule compacte et impatiente s’est rapidement concentrée dans une seule direction : la table des autographes de Richard Dean Anderson ! Il lui a suffi d’écarter le rideau noir qui le séparait de sa loge pour qu’un même « cœur » d’applaudissements cadence son arrivée. Comme à chaque fois, son sourire a immédiatement enchanté les centaines de regards tournés vers lui.

« No gift » était inscrit sur un petit écriteau posé sur le bureau qui l’accueillait pour deux bonnes heures de dédicaces intensives. Richard n’a pas hésité à nous faire comprendre, en mimant un sourire triste sur sa bouche, qu’il en était désolé. Il connaît si bien ses fans et leur désir de lui faire ces petits présents dans lesquels ils mettent leur amour et leur reconnaissance, que cet avertissement embarrassant à l’attention de ses « amis français » le peinait autant que nous. Mais il est évident qu’une malle supplémentaire remplie de cadeaux de toutes tailles, aurait été une source de tracas pour son retour en avion à Los Angeles.

Lorsque vint mon tour, je lui rappelai que j’étais l’auteure de sa biographie en français. Il eut un sourire délicieux et m’annonça que mon livre était en bonne place sur son bureau chez lui à Los Angeles mais, hélas, il lui était toujours impossible de le lire (il ne parle pas français). Lui précisant que la traduction était en bonne voie et sans doute terminée avant la fin de l’année, il me confirma qu’il avait hâte de pouvoir enfin la lire. Je ne pus résister à l’envie de prendre sa main et d’y déposer un baiser.

Patiemment et avec une gentillesse à nulle autre pareil, Richard a accompagné chaque autographe d’un sourire, d’un mot, d’une poignée de main ; écoutant avec bienveillance les mots de félicitation et d’affection de chacun.

« C’est vraiment un amour ! » s’est exclamée Sabrina en nous rejoignant à l’extérieur de la zone de dédicaces encore toute tremblante d’émotion. Nous étions bien sûr, totalement d’accord avec elle ! Nous avions l’air de huit comparses totalement infantilisés. Mais qu’importe, c’est tellement bon de retrouver son âme d’adolescent!

- CONFERENCE -

En route pour la suite du programme : la Conférence de Richard. Elle devait avoir lieu vers 13h30. Nous avions du temps devant nous, mais nous prîmes le parti de rejoindre immédiatement l’espace Sci-Fi où, déjà, des sièges étaient occupés. Nous étions presque certains que ces personnes ne bougeraient pas de leurs places aux premiers rangs, jusqu’à l’intervention de Richard. Ils étaient là pour lui, cela ne faisait aucun doute. Nous dûmes nous contenter du 4e rang, pas si mal finalement. Tout semblait aller pour le mieux. Les minutes tournaient et l’écran projetait des images que nous regardions par intermittence et sans réel intérêt, attendant avec patience celui qui n’en finissait pas de signer des centaines d’autographes. En regardant dans sa direction, la file d’attente semblait ne jamais s’amoindrir. Les fans étaient si nombreux que les organisateurs furent contraints de demander à Richard de prolonger cette première séance de dédicaces, ce qu’il accepta bien sûr sans hésitation. Ainsi, il réduisait son temps de pause repas d’une bonne heure, mais le triomphe de ses trop rares apparitions en France est à ce prix ! Il avait un programme – très chargé – à tenir, et il ne se défilerait pas, sinon il ne s’appellerait pas Richard Dean Anderson !

Enfin, les minutes nous rapprochaient peu à peu du moment tant attendu. Les sièges étaient à présent tous occupés. Les fans se pressaient dans tous les coins de l’espace Sci-Fi, partout où il était possible d’avoir une petite chance d’apercevoir celui pour qui ils avaient fait parfois plusieurs centaines ou milliers de kilomètres. L’endroit était noir de monde.

Il était enfin l’heure d’accueillir Richard. Le présentateur et organisateur de l’événement vint enfin sur scène pour annoncer celui qu’il n’était pas nécessaire de nommer tant la ferveur du public était déjà à son maximum. Mais le paroxysme fut atteint dès que Richard apparut, car l’ovation qui lui fut faite dépassa l’entendement ! Son étonnement et son émotion face à cette nuée ardente furent bien réels. De mémoire de 25 années de Paris Manga, rien de tel n’avait jamais été enregistré, cela fut confirmé par l’organisateur lui-même. Les cris de joie, les applaudissements debout et les flashs fusaient de partout.

Puis le calme revint. Le temps de la Conférence était court, chronométré même car, à quelques pas de là, la file d’attente de la session de photos avait déjà pris ses marques. Juste le temps de cinq ou six questions à peine et Richard devrait quitter la scène. Comme à son habitude, son charisme opéra et nous fûmes tous sous son charme durant son intervention. L’humour comme cheval de bataille, il nous enchanta par ses réponses savoureuses. Notamment à la question d’un fan concernant la politique de son pays, il nous présenta « ses excuses pour avoir un président idiot, incapable et fou ». Comme tout le monde s’y attendait également, il dut subir l’épreuve du reboot de MacGyver. Une mimique « spéciale Richard » à nulle autre pareille entraina un fou-rire général complice de la part de tous les spectateurs. Mais il resta « polite and professional » (dixit Richard) pour confirmer que la série ne correspondait absolument pas à « la marque de fabrique Macgyver » mais plutôt à une série policière basique et à l’opposé de la série dans laquelle il jouait. Ce à quoi le public, d’une seule voix, a accueilli ses paroles par des applaudissements soutenus. Quant à la question concernant ses scènes préférées avec Amanda Tapping (Sam Carter dans Stargate SG1), nous nous attendions bien sûr à la réponse qu’il allait faire : « Kissing (l'embrasser) » avec un sérieux désopilant et communicatif, en ajoutant avec humour « don’t tell her husband (ne le dites pas à son mari). ». Hélas, le temps imparti était écoulé, mais Richard ne voulait pas quitter ses « french friends (amis Français) » comme il disait et obtint une petite rallonge de quelques minutes pour deux ou trois questions supplémentaires.

La Conférence se termina sur une nouvelle ovation titanesque dans une salle debout et qui réclamait encore sa présence à laquelle il était contraint de se soustraire. Et tout ce monde allait quitter son siège pour gonfler la faramineuse file d’attente qui se tenait devant le studio-photo. Une minuscule pincée de secondes de bonheur capturée, à tout jamais, sur du papier glacé par un photographe professionnel… Plus de six cents personnes réalisaient une sorte de farandole qui zigzaguait entre les couloirs d’attente et s’étendait bien au-delà des limites prévues.

- SEANCE PHOTOS-

Notre petit groupe était parvenu à se faufiler assez rapidement jusqu’à l’extérieur de l’espace Conférence Sci-Fi. Nos pass-VIP autour du cou nous accordaient quelques facilités très appréciables dans les files d’attente. La distance se raccourcissait finalement assez vite. Nouveaux battements de cœur crescendo pour chacun de nous au fur et à mesure que nos pas nous conduisaient à lui. Cette sensation de vivre un moment unique où un cliché va offrir cette impression d’être seul au monde avec Lui ! Comment se placer ? Quelle réaction va-t-il avoir ? Et puis, tout est parfait et se déroule comme dans un rêve… un rêve de dix secondes à peine.

- SEA SHEPHERD –

Avant le « meet&greet », j’avais un peu de temps pour rencontrer un des responsables de Sea Sepherd France, présent ce dimanche. Il savait que je reversais tous les bénéfices des ventes de mon livre « Richard Dean Anderson, d’Esprit et de Cœur » à Sea Shepherd, en le dédiant à Richard. J’avais obtenu l’autorisation d’exposer une douzaine d’exemplaires de mon livre sur le stand, ils ont tous été vendus. J’étais ravie et fière, car le don que je fis à Sea Shepherd au nom de tous les acheteurs de mon livre, était plus important que prévu grâce à ceux que j’avais vendus aujourd’hui. J’espérais bien continuer de vendre d’autres livres en faveur de Sea Shepherd.

- MEET AND GREET -

Très vite, nous fûmes invités à nous rendre à l’emplacement où les participants au "meet&greet" allaient être accueillis. Presque immédiatement, nous disparûmes derrière le grand rideau noir. Décor et ambiance peu enclins à discuter en petit comité… Le brouhaha à l’extérieur promettait des minutes – pourtant privilégiées – difficilement profitables. Si la gestion de la session-photos était parfaite, celle du meet&greet laissait à désirer et plus encore lorsque l’on vint nous annoncer qu’elle ne durerait que dix minutes au lieu des vingt initialement prévues ! Notre moment de convivialité tant attendu allait être balayé, lui aussi, par la diabolique machination du temps ! Mais Richard apparut sur le pas de la porte et notre déception s’envola instantanément.

Magnanime, il nous fit signe de nous rapprocher le plus possible autour de la table. Il fallait bien ça pour espérer entendre nos discussions. Une traductrice se plaça à côté de lui pour nous aider, a priori. Mais, il s’avéra assez rapidement qu’elle était un peu « dépassée », sans doute la fatigue d’un long week-end harassant (pour rester « polite and professional » comme dirait Richard). Il comprit peut-être bien avant nous cet état de fait, car il nous interrogea pour savoir qui comprenait l’anglais et qui ne le parlait pas. La majorité d’entre nous pouvait se débrouiller mais pas tous. Il sembla que cette notion soit passée inaperçue par la traductrice.

"Qui commence", demanda Richard ? Je pris donc l’initiative, car j’avais une question à propos de son engagement, il y a quelques années, au sein de "Waterkeeper Alliance" (l'autre association qu'il défend depuis très longtemps et pour laquelle je reverse régulièrement des dons). Lorsque Richard avait participé au programme « Earth River Expeditions » avec Eric Hertz pour le compte de National Geographic, il avait eu une expérience particulière, en septembre 2001, avec la descente du Yang-Tsé et sa rencontre avec le Tibet l’avait transformé. Je voulais qu’il nous parle de son ressenti. Je souhaitais aussi savoir s’il avait pu y retourner ou s’il espérait le faire dans l’avenir. Avec difficulté – avec le brouhaha extérieur incessant – Richard finit par comprendre ma question et, par le même chemin chaotique, sa réponse me parvint en retour. Il était quasiment impossible pour lui de retourner au Tibet à cause des problèmes politiques avec la Chine. Par contre, il avait reçu, il y a peu, une proposition pour retourner au Chili pour une nouvelle expédition sur le Rio Futaleufu. Il avait « très envie d’accepter d’y participer, car il avait adoré ces expéditions par le passé ».

Il n’y eut le temps que pour deux ou trois autres questions. Déjà, une incursion dans notre petit salon nous rappela qu’il fallait arrêter car les fans s’impatientaient pour obtenir leur dédicace. Comme à son habitude, Richard souhaitait prolonger notre discussion et nous montra son désarroi ; nous ne voulions pas partir aussi vite non plus. Mais il comprenait tout de même qu’à l’extérieur, une foule attendait son instant de bonheur inoubliable !

C’était fini, nous retournions d’un pas non réellement décidé vers la réalité de l’autre côté du grand rideau noir. En une fraction de seconde, la vague de fans le happa dans un élan de joie et nous dûmes la lui céder. Richard n’était plus à nous, il l’avait été durant une quinzaine de minutes à peine. Nous garderions néanmoins le souvenir d’une jolie complicité, l’espace d’une subreptice dimension parallèle la plus agréable qui soit…

- EPILOGUE-

Les portes de Paris Manga allaient devoir se refermer et pourtant Richard n’était pas au bout de ses peines. Inconcevable pour lui de décevoir ses fans, cela ne faisait pas partie de son vocabulaire. Ainsi, il resterait jusqu’à la dernière dédicace si patiemment attendue par la personne au bout de la file, dut-il y passer la nuit ! Il signa le dernier autographe aux alentours de 20H, près de deux heures après la fermeture officielle de la Convention ! C’est cela aussi Richard Dean Anderson ! Un homme infiniment respectueux de ceux qui l’aiment, même s’il en allait de sa propre santé. Et l’on peut dire que cette journée-marathon n’aurait sans doute pas été effectuée avec autant de sourires et de bonne humeur par n’importe quel autre artiste !

« Richard Dean Anderson à Paris Manga, Une trop brève escale à Paris »
©Dominique Guenin (07/02/2018)
Last edited by frenchwriter on Tue Feb 20, 2018 12:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
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