Michel Ocelot was born in 1943 in Villefranche-sur-Mer, on the Côte d'Azur. He went on to spend much of his childhood in Guinea, Africa, his teenage years in Anjou, and now lives in Paris. A multi-disciplined artist, he has worked in both cutout and cel animation and now also in 3D computer animation, as well writing for books and the stage. His films are almost always fairy tales (either little-known or of his own invention) and are visually characterised by a rigid use of only side-on, straight-on and ¾ viewpoints, possibly influenced by silhouette films such as those of Lotte Reiniger. He was president of the Association international du film d'animation from 1994 to 2000.
While already a household name in France, Spain and Scandinavia, and greatly respected by Studio Ghibli's TAKAHATA Isao (who has directed the Japanese dubs of his films) his success in the more conservative markets of the United Kingdom, USA and Germany has been restricted by a somewhat mixed reaction to the realistic and non-sexual, but nevertheless omnipresent nudity in his breakout film Kirikou et la sorcière. Although the BBFC and its equivalents have approved it as being suitable for all ages, cinemas and TV channels have been reluctant to show it, owing to the potential backlash from offended parents. It was not until 2007 that he once again gained some recognition within the English-speaking world, this time due to being chosen by the internationally famous Icelandic musician Björk to direct the "Earth Intruders" video, for which he uses some live-action shooting.
The same year later saw the début of Kirikou et Karaba, the stage version of the Kirikou films for which he wrote the book and lyrics. Since then he has been putting together another compilation film (which will include two newly-created stories) and a DVD-Video release comprised of three early, short films and a new, alternate ending to Azur et Asmar. His most prominent ideas for future projects include a celebration of French civilization in late-nineteenth century Paris and an adults-only portmanteau film with the working title Les Contes sensuels et cruels (Stories Sensual and Cruel), [4] described by him as "very erotic but very pretty." [2] His plan is for it to be in monochrome and contain some live-action.
Quotations
By Ocelot
"I use everyone's ideas in my own manner. I play with balls that innumerable jugglers have already used for countless centuries. These balls, passed down from hand to hand, are not new. But today I'm the one doing the juggling." [1]
On Ocelot
"I do not think my work has had an impact. Take Michel Ocelot: I personally ensured the supervision of the Japanese versions of his films. And if I did it, it's because there's nothing comparable in Japan. I can assure you that there is not the slightest trace of my influence in the works of Mr. Ocelot!" TAKAHATA Isao [3]
Filmography
- Le Tabac (The Newsagent, 1974, short film)
Trinacra Films era
- Gédéon (1976, 60×5 min. TV series)
AAA Production era
- Les Trois inventeurs (The Three Inventors, 1979, 13 min. short film)
- Les Filles de l'égalité (The Daughters of Equality, 1981, 1 min. short film)
- Beyond Oil (1982, 20 min. short film segments)
- La Légende du pauvre bossu (The Legend of the Poor Hunchback, 1982, 7 min. short film)
- La Princesse insensible (The Insensitive Princess, 1986, 13×4 min. TV series)
La Fabrique era
- Les Quatre vœux (The Four Wishes, 1987, 5 min. short film)
- Ciné si (Cinema If, 1989, 8×12 min. TV series)
Les Armateurs era
- Les Contes de la nuit (Tales of the Night, 1992, 26 min. TV special)
- Kirikou et la sorcière (Kirikou and the Sorceress, 1998, 71 min. feature film)
- Princes et princesses (Princes and Princesses, 2000, 70 min. compilation film)
- Kirikou et les bêtes sauvages (Kirikou and the Wild Beasts, Dec. 2005, 75 min. feature film)
- Kirikou découvre les animaux d'Afrique (Kirikou Discovers the Animals of Africa, Sep. 2007, 30×3 min. TV series segments)
Mac Guff Ligne era
- Azur et Asmar (Azur and Asmar, 2006, 99 min. feature film)
- "Earth Intruders" (Apr. 2007, 4 min. music video for Björk)
- Les Noces d'Azur et Asmar (The Wedding of Azur and Asmar, Oct. 2008, OVA) [5]
- Bergères et dragons (Shepherdesses and Dragons, 2009, 52×13 min. TV series)
Stage productions
- Princes et princesses (Princes and Princesses, Jan. 2005, sign language play adap. Claire Lasne)
- Kirikou et Karaba (Kirikou and Karaba, Sep. 2007, musical adap. Michel Ocelot)
Availability
References
- http://www.arte.tv/fr/cinema-fiction/Court-circuit/30-novembre/1035374.html
- http://www.britishanimationawards.com/awards_history/2002/awards_history_2002.htm
- http://www.bjork.com/news/?id=625;year=2007#news
- http://www.cite-sciences.fr/francais/ala_cite/evenemen/princes_princesses_2006/cineaste.html
- http://www.littlewhitelies.co.uk/issue012/features/bringmebeauty.php
- http://membres.lycos.fr/festivalcinejeunes/fiches/prince.htm
- http://www.prix-chronos.org/auteurs/ocelot.htm
- http://toulouse.sortir.eu/loisirs/azur-et-asmar-la-rencontre-entre-l-occident-et-le-monde-musulman-2006-11-17-15-09-04
- http://www.theprincesquest.com
- http://www-viz.tamu.edu/faculty/ergun/teaching/motioncapture/project/ocelot.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirikou_and_the_Sorceress
- http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Ocelot
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