"My legs were shaking", the artist remenbers. "When I shook hands with Niemeyer, all I can say is that I was very, very moved. He was the most gracious of hosts, but he did not pay much attention to me primarily. After all, there were two beautiful women in our team, and he had eyes only for them...
"It was only after a while that we managed to get in tune with each other ; he then gave much more attention, and even answered my questions in French".

At the end of the interview, which lasted three hours, Benoit offered Niemeyer the canvas he had made for him, "Aéroport de Brasilia" ("Brasilia Airport"). It represents the capital’s airport such as Niemeyer had projected it should be built, a vision which was rejected by the military dictatorship -one of the biggest frustrations that Niemeyer experienced during his career.

The documentary projected by Benoit suffered a similar fate : "Brasilia. Voyage vers l'Aurore" ("Brasilia. Travel to Dawn") never came to life, the funding for the rest of the production in France having defaulted.

However, the painter’s first exhibition in Paris, "Brasilia. De Chair et d’Âme" (Brasilia. Flesh and Soul"), gained the attention of the French Communist Party (PCF), the headquarters of which had been designed by Niemeyer during his voluntary exile in France. A new exhibition was organized with the PCF’s agreement, to be ready in twelve months. Hastily, Benoit returned to his studio, eager to innovate.

"I did not want to create just sensual and dreamlike nudes, as in the series about Brasilia. I also meant to evoke a more direct relationship with Niemeyer. But of course I was not about to paint him in the nude, was I ?" Benoit jokes, alluding to the works he did that depicted the architect.