Gwen, le livre de sable

Jean-François Laguionie is a French animated film director and writer. He is regarded as one of the best animation filmmakers in France. Initially interested in shadow theatre, set design, and dramatic art, he ventured into animation with the guidance of Paul Grimault, who produced his first three short films, thanks to his friend Jacques Colombat. His short film Rowing Across the Atlantic (1978) was awarded a Palme d'or at Cannes and won a César. During the production of Gwen, or the Book of Sand in 1985, he founded La Fabrique, a studio for producing and directing animated films. It took until 1999 for his second feature film, A Monkey’s Tale, to be released. In 2019, he directed The Prince’s Voyage, an indirect sequel to the film. That same year, he received an Honorary Cristal at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival for his body of work.