Synopsis

On the last day of summer, Louise, an old woman, realises that the last train has departed without her. She finds herself alone in a small seaside resort town, abandoned by everyone. The weather quickly turns for the worse, followed by the seasonal tides. Fragile and coquettish, not nearly as well-prepared as a would-be Robinson Crusoe, Louise isn’t likely to make it through the winter. Yet, Louise takes her abandonment as a challenge. She’s going to survive, confronting the elements as well as her memories, which have found the perfect occasion to join in the adventure...

Jean-François Laguionie

Jean-François Laguionie honed his animation skills alongside Paul Grimault, the director of The King and the Bird, which is still setting the tone of French animation today. He created his first short films, which were awarded many prizes, in the legendary Les Gémeaux studio. He has made seven in all and five features, from Gwen, the Book of Sand in 1985 to his latest, Louise by the Shore. He is a faithful follower of the dreamlike animation initiated by Paul Grimault, where noble and often solitary characters live out their adventures in worlds full of beauty and poetry.