Synopsis

A man exchanges his shadow for richness. Disillusioned, he has to be content with seven-league boots. The film benefits from the quality of the NFB production with rich sound effects. Schwizgebel installs the mysterious atmosphere with one of the longest and most beautiful opening sequences of his career. The use of metamorphoses makes it possible to carry out semantic shortcuts in order to deliver the story.

Georges Schwizgebel

Animation director Georges Schwizgebel has created a remarkably original body of work. His films are marked by masterful technical execution, a playful approach to narrative, spectacular formalism, and the intermingling of visuals and music. His first film, The Flight of Icarus, launched a prolific career, boasting numerous awards at prestigious international festivals like Cannes, Annecy, Animafest Zagreb, Hiroshima, Stuttgart, Ottawa, and Espinho. The Ride to the Abyss (1992) is regularly cited as one of the finest animated films of all time. In 2017, Georges Schwizgebel received the Honorary Cristal in Annecy, followed by the Honorary Award of the Swiss Film Awards in 2018. In 2019, he was awarded the French insignia of Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters. He is the most awarded author in the history of Animafest, and was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.