Papillon

Henri Charriere was born in 1906, in the Southern French region of Ardeche. The son of the local school headmaster, his mothe’s death, when he was very young, devasted him. Whilst in the French Navy, Henri gained the nickname Papillon from the butterfly tattoo on his chest; it was during this period he began accumulating his criminal contacts.

After his military service, Charriere moved to Paris where he became a key underworld figure. At twenty-five he was framed for murder and sent to serve a life sentence in the French penal colony of Guiana. Papillon swore he would not serve prision time for a crime he did not commit. His first escape involved traveling one thousand miles in an open boat. During his first attempt at freedom he was helped by members of a Leper colony as well as a native tribe, within which he fathered children.

Papillon was eventually captured and sent to solliatry

confinement where he endured countless inhumanities, including near starvation. After nine failed escapes, Papillon finally gained his freedom. He became a citizen of Venezuela and became involved with a myriad of notable characters including: gold miners, bank robbers and revolutionaries. Around the time Papillon met the love of his life, Rita, whom he would eventually marry.

In 1967, an earthquake hit Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. The nightclubs Papillon owned were ruined, as was he financially. It was then that he wrote his international, best-selling memoir, Papillon. He subsequently gained stardom, cavorting with celebrities like Brigitte Bardot, appearing on film and penning another book, Banco.