Frederic Back

Frédéric Back won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film twice during his career. He won his first Oscar in 1982 for Crac!, a nostalgic look at Quebec society through the lifecycle of a rocking chair. He won his second Oscar in 1988 for The Man Who Planted Trees, an ecological masterpiece about a shepherd who restores a ruined valley.

Back was famous for his incredibly detailed, painstakingly hand-drawn animation created using colored pencils on frosted cels. Because of the medium, his films lacked the sharp outlines of traditional animation, giving them a soft, pastel-like, painterly quality. It could take him and his small team several years to complete a single short film using this method.

Yes, Back was deeply committed to environmental conservation, which heavily influenced the themes of his films. The Man Who Planted Trees became a global symbol for reforestation and ecological restoration. He often used his public platform to speak about the importance of protecting nature and biodiversity, particularly in his native Canada.

Back spent the vast majority of his professional career working for the French-language broadcasting network of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, known as Radio-Canada. He originally joined the network as an illustrator and graphic designer before moving into animation. His studio at Radio-Canada allowed him the artistic freedom to produce his award-winning shorts.