Very alarmed by Bruno Foznandos’s revelations, I took this ultimate precaution because I had prepared my questions only in my mother tongue, Oscar Niemeyer being reputedly fluent in French after his decade of political exile in France, in the 1970s.

Right at the beginning of the interview, when I started talking to Oscar Niemeyer in French, the architect cut in and said “no, no, in Portuguese”. I was devastated. But a very reactive and professional Ana Cristina immediately took over by reading in Portuguese the English version of my original French questions, and all the interview took place in this way and followed this protocol.
But fortunately, after twenty minutes or so, Niemeyer -who had only had eyes for Ana Cristina and Silvana Zilli until then-, turned to me and began to answer Ana Cristina's questions in French ; thus clearly indicating that I had passed the test successfully, an encouragement for me to regain control. Which I immediately did, with utmost delight.

This is how I met Oscar Niemeyer and how I was able to spend four among some of the most moving and fascinating hours of my existence - and this is how I escaped the tragic fate that my predecessors had met, a few months previously.

I saw Ana Cristina again in 2010 during my exhibition’s opening in Brasilia, and we were able to exchange with emotion on these days spent in Rio de Janeiro, and the magical moments of my interview with Oscar Niemeyer ; some exceptional moments born from the work and perseverance of this child from Brasilia with a broad smile and beautiful green and sparkling eyes.