Jarry (meeting in unknown area): "I didn’t want to find myself in the middle of a tribe that would hunt me down because I like men."

How would you describe this unique experience?

Jarry: I never dreamed of having such an adventure. Our relationship with both the people we met there and Raphael was very strong. This discovery aroused new emotions in me.

Did you think that by agreeing to participate in the show you would find yourself in Greenland?

I’m from the sun, from the south of France, I like to wear swimsuits. (Laughs) When Raphaël told me we were going to the northernmost place in the world, where hunters and fishermen live among men… Compared to me, we couldn’t find anything more opposite. This is a journey I would never take alone.

How would you describe Raphaël de Casabianca as an adventure companion?

I can say that we have one thing in common, and that is human love. I sincerely think that there is a kind of twinning in the values ​​that drive us. However, there are two different ways of expressing it. I have a hard time hiding my feelings, that’s the life choice I’ve made. Raphaël, he’s more moderate, less revealing and knows how to step aside because he wants people to stand out. He taught me to be a little more reserved, and I think I gave him a desire to reveal himself more.

Do you understand the backlash you may face towards your homosexuality in Greenland?

I didn’t want to make a TV show where I would have to cheat. I wanted to talk to them about my children, and in doing so I would inevitably have to talk about my homosexuality. I wanted these people to meet who I am basically… So it was a concern I had: I didn’t want to find myself in the middle of a tribe that would hunt me down because I like men. I didn’t know what these people would think. There are already so many extreme violent reactions in France and Europe that I stupidly wondered if they would be even more archaic in such a remote place. And finally, when I told them about my homosexuality, I had an emotional uppercut. When I went out, they had a reaction that I hadn’t even seen in France.

What did you expect from this experience on this show?

I needed to reconnect with humanity. How complicated it is to find solidarity and respect on a daily basis! In France, no matter what I do, I’m still reduced to my sexuality. I had to tell myself that no one knew me where I was going. These Eskimos saw the man, and it gave me a lot. What I was looking for on this show was for people to see me for who I really am.

See you on Tuesday, May 2nd at 21:10 in France 2 in unknown territory

INTERVIEW WITH AURELIEN GAUCHER