Raphaël JOUZEAU
Film director

Raphaël received a writing grant for his next short film.

What is your artistic background ?
I first did an art foundation course (Prép'art), then I enrolled at the Strasbourg School of Decorative Arts (HEAR) to study illustration, where I had access to a wide range of different art forms: drawing, engraving, wood carving, video, etc. I then specialized in animation. To prepare for the entrance exams to the grandes écoles, I went back to prep school, but this time specializing in animation (at the Atelier de Sèvres), and finally I joined the first class of the animation school that the Atelier de Sèvres had just created (the Atelier Supérieur d'Animation ASA).
After graduating, I made a 3-minute film adapted from a poem by Paul Verlaine, for the En sortant de l'école film collection, which was broadcast on France Télévision during the Printemps des Poètes, a poetry festival. I created storyboards for several animation and live-action projects, including Valentine Vendroux's Arte series Boys Boys Boys. I made a few short commissioned films: music videos, commercials, etc., as well as animation for Hermès. At the same time, I was developing my first short film, Les Belles cicatrices, my second short film, Sous la montagne, and part of the artistic direction for a teen/adult cartoon series called Terre 2. Today, I am preparing to make my next short film, Sous la montagne, as well as writing a feature-length animated film with Pierre le Gall, co-writer of Les Belles cicatrices.

What is your view on your profession today ?
I believe that animation has a bright future ahead of it even though we face several major challenges such as AI, the cancellation of major projects by streaming platforms, etc... But the younger generation has never watched so much animation. The challenge is to stop believing that animation is only for children, but can also appeal to older generations. Émilie Tronche's series Samuel on Arte is a perfect example of this!
We never ask a live-action director why they don't make films for children, so why do we always ask those who make animated films? Adults look at drawings, paintings, etc. just as much as children do (museums, comics, galleries, illustrations, etc.). So why should adults refrain from watching films with moving drawings? Why shouldn't children be allowed to see more live-action films like those made for adults? Films such as I Lost My Body, Mars Express, and Anomalisa have clearly shown that it is possible to make high-quality animated films that appeal to a mature audience.
I would also like to contribute to this, in my own small way, by trying to make an animated film that the people around me, and I, would go to see at the cinema. A film that would echo all the emotions, experiences, and reflections that we may encounter in our adult lives.

How do you see yourself in 5 years? In 10 years ?
I hope I will have the chance to see my feature film project come to fruition, even though it's a long marathon to do this in animation. It's difficult to write, produce, and make, but you have to dream a little, otherwise you don't do anything. I'm taking it one step at a time and we'll see how far it goes! I'd also like to have the opportunity to get back into illustration, through a comic book or graphic novel project, producing posters for events, films...

Interview conducted in 2025
Photographs taken in 2025 by Yama Ndiaye