The real-life story behind the movie “The Intouchables”

We frequently concentrate on our shortcomings and the barriers that keep us from achieving our ideal selves, overlooking the qualities and possessions we already have. This focus can cause us to put off our happiness as we dwell on the disappointment of not meeting our goals. However, if we are willing to question our beliefs and open our hearts, we can meet people from any race, social status, or age who help us see our strengths and the value we inherently bring to the world.

Supporting this idea, Bright Side shares the stories of Count Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and Abdel Yasmin Sellou. These two men, who once felt confined by their circumstances, overcame societal boundaries through their friendship, changing their lives and inspiring the movie that followed.

Philippe Pozzo di Borgo, a French count and prosperous hotel owner, was born into privilege as the son of a duke. With a refined education and successful career, including a managerial stint at Moët & Chandon, he led a life many envied. However, his world turned upside down in 1993 when a paragliding accident left him tetraplegic, sinking him into deep depression, further worsened by his wife’s cancer battle. Confronted with his new dependence, Philippe fell into despair, even attempting suicide. He found this loss of control over his life, which he had always maintained, to be “unbearable.”

On the other hand, Abdel Yasmin Sellou’s background hardly positioned him as an exemplary employee.

Abdel grew up in a humble family with eight siblings, a background that contributed to his impulsive behavior and volatile temperament. At ten, he moved to Paris to live with relatives, and by sixteen, he was expelled from school for theft. His pattern of delinquency continued, leading to his first jail term at eighteen for stealing from tourists. Despite these challenges, Abdel had a charismatic charm that made him likable from the first meeting.

While serving an eighteen-month prison sentence, Abdel was offered a chance to reduce his term to ten months by participating in mechanics courses aimed at societal reintegration. Disinterested in mechanics, he pursued immediate employment to avoid returning to prison. His application for a caretaker role for a wealthy, tetraplegic aristocrat and his ailing wife became a turning point that significantly altered the course of his life.