Roman Polanski, presumably stir crazy while doing hard time in his Swiss chalet and awaiting word on his possible extradition to the U.S., has made his first public statement since his incarceration. Would you believe that he’s received an “overwhelm[ing] … number of messages of support and sympathy†from people outraged by the indignity of his plight? He would certainly like you to! In an open letter posted on the website of popular French intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy, Polanski thanks his boosters and sends out warm holiday greetings to you and yours.
Here’s the letter in full:
My dear Bernard-Henri Lévy, what you have said in the Swiss press is true — I have been overwhelmed by the number of messages of support and sympathy I have received in Winterthur prison, and that I continue to receive here, in my chalet in Gstaad, where I am spending the holidays with my wife and my children.
These messages have come from my neighbours, from people all over Switzerland, and from beyond Switzerland — from across the world. I would like every one of them to know how heartening it is, when one is locked up in a cell, to hear this murmur of human voices and of solidarity in the morning mail. In the darkest moments, each of their notes has been a source of comfort and hope, and they continue to be so in my current situation.
I would like to be able to answer all of them. But it is impossible: There are too many. Do you have any suggestions as to how I could reply? Perhaps in your journal, La Règle du jeu, which has supported me from the very first day? Perhaps you could disseminate these few words I’m sending you? I don’t know. I’ll leave it up to you.
Happy holidays to you and yours — and, through you, to all of these unknown friends whom I am discovering day after day, and who have helped me so much.
My warmest regards,
Roman Polanski
He did not include a card with a photo of himself wearing a Christmas sweater and Santa hat, but you should definitely imagine one anyway.
Exclusive : Roman Polanski’s first reaction since his incarceration [BHL]
Polanski Thanks Backers as Extradition Wait Goes On [Reuters]