The Red Turtle

Through the story of a man shipwrecked alone on a tropical island inhabited by turtles, crabs and birds, and his encounter with a mysterious red turtle, The Red Turtle recounts the milestones in the life of a human being living in direct relationship with the island’s natural environment. This animated film, told without dialogue, was written and directed by Belgian director Michael Dudok de Wit and co-produced by Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki from Studio Ghibli in Japan and Vincent Maraval from Wild Bunch International. Isao Takahata is also credited as artistic producer. The result is a poetic, esthetically stunning film inflected with a Japanese sensibility. Winner of Un Certain Regard Special Prize at the Festival de Cannes in 2016.

To watch the trailer please click here

Michael Dudok de Wit is a Dutch animator, director and illustrator based in London. He won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for Father and Daughter (2000) and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for The Red Turtle (2016).

Produced and presented by Columbia Maison Française

With additional support provided by Cultural Services of the French Embassy, Columbia Climate School, Knapp Family Foundation, Paul LeClerc Centennial Fund, Columbia University Institute for Ideas and Imagination, Columbia Global Centers | Paris, Society of Fellows and Heyman Center for the Humanities, Alliance Program, and European Institute.

Curated by Shanny Peer, Fanny Guex and Clara Wilhelm

Screenings will be introduced or followed by panel discussions with invited scholars and, in some cases, the film directors. All films are subtitled in English.