Three questions for… Géraldine Danon

Pole passion

Actress, director and writer Géraldine Danon is first and foremost an adventurer who has always been driven by the desire for freedom. We catch up with the ocean and polar enthusiast who is the guest of honour on a PONANT cruise to Spitsbergen.

What is your connection to the Arctic region and Spitsbergen?

I’ve never been to Spitsbergen before. I have however sailed the Arctic many times. My first experience dates back to 2009, when we were one of the first boats to complete the Northwest Passage linking the Atlantic to the Pacific via the Bering Sea, in one go. It was an intense, unforgettable experience. We had to battle sea ice for weeks on end, being locked in by it for several days at a time. My children were small, six months, 18 months, nine and 12: I have to say that succeeding in taking up this challenge and accomplishing the crossing, as a pioneer, remains one of my proudest and most intense adventures.

Géraldine Danon has always cultivated a taste for freedom and curiosity. An actress since her teens, she then spent 13 years sailing with her husband Philippe Poupon and their four children aboard a sailboat. Their challenge: to venture as far as possible each time towards the poles, from the Arctic to the Antarctic, while serving as a platform for scientists. Writer and film-maker Géraldine Danon has recounted these experiences in a number of books and documentaries. Her first feature film, Flo, about the yachtswoman Florence Arthaud, has just been released.

What makes Spitsbergen so special?

The Spitsbergen is one of the northernmost accessible lands. I know I’ll find that intense yet gentle light that can only be found at these high latitudes, the impressive glaciers, the incredible fauna and that mystical je ne sais quoi that Jean-Baptiste Charcot spoke of so well, which makes us feel particularly alive, the magic of the poles, from which we return changed, as most of the great polar explorers have testified. When you sail in these latitudes, your compass goes haywire, and I’ve always thought the same is true for people. The atmosphere is as electric as it is peaceful, the vibrations are different, in harmony with a natural world that inspires silence, contemplation and a certain form of wisdom. It’s a communion with nature, dazzled by so much raw beauty. Travelling to these lands is like going on a journey of initiation.

What are you expecting from a cruise with PONANT?

It’s the journey that speaks to me. By expecting nothing, I open myself to receiving everything, and that’s also what all these years at sea have taught me. I’m curious about this new adventure, these new encounters and this new way of experiencing travel. Being open and not expecting anything in particular. If the sea stirs and a whale graces us with its presence, my heart will fill with joy. If a bear appears on the horizon, my heart will race, but watching the sky set ablaze as the midnight sun embraces it is enough to dazzle me.

I’m here to share all that these years at sea have given me, and all the new awareness that comes with it. I hope to add a little something extra to light up what already shines so brightly in this magical place.

Photo credits: ©DR

Explore the most beautiful polar shores