Léo Favier

My name is Léo Favier, I make books and films halfway between graphic design, objectivist poetry and experimental movies. Using various storytelling strategies, my work evolves around documentary and fiction with the use of preexisting material like archives, interviews, diaries, and found footage.
Furthermore I regularly do commission works mostly for editorial design. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or if you are interested in collaborating.

I am a member of POC, a network for contemporary images, and I am a co-founder of the Wandertag magazine project. My films are produced by Les Films Sauvages, Paris, and some of the self-published books are available via TIPI, Bruxelles or Motto, Berlin.

You can also follow me on Facebook.

Books

Jungle, or clearing a path threw family trees with a machete

A humorous story about building houses, moving furnitures, telling anecdotes about swindling or pets, giving commentaries on food and wine, and distributing presents. Threw the script of a christmas dinner, a story about a family.

2015, Ghost Edition, original title: Jungle, ou avancer dans les arbres généalogiques à la machette, translation: Simon Cowper, Copyediting: Mike Hembury, 72 pp., 19 x27,5 cm, Risograph and digital offset, 200 copies (ENG), 200 (FR), the book exists in English and in French, 18,00 €

What, you don’t know Grapus?

Grapus [gra-´pUEs] is a French graphic design collective founded in Paris immediately following the student protests of May 1968. The group saw life as a field for experimentation, putting the new political, social, and cultural debates into graphic form for public discussion. At first Grapus designed posters for local chapters of the Communist Party; twenty years on, they were chosen to design the corporate identity of the Louvre in Paris. By the late 1980s, the collective’s productive days were over. In its heyday it had attracted many highly committed graphic artists both from France and abroad. After receiving the Grand Prix National des Arts Graphiques, the group decided to disband in 1990. I set out in search of the former members of the collective. The twenty-six interviews in his book tell of the utopian working methods and heated disputes that were at the heart of this collective way of life.

2014, Spector Books, 256 pp., 13×19 cm, French and English Edition, ISBN: 978-3-944669-49-6

Visit le bateau pirate

In 2012, I had the opportunity to get on a pirate boat. It was huge like a little town and strong like a titan. And it was nuclear. It could go anywhere and bomb anybody. If my country was a strong lady with bear breast fighting on a barricade, this boat was her molotov cocktail.

2012, Self-published, 72 pp., 19 x 27,5 cm, Risograph, Silkscreen, French (English translation on separate booklet), 291 copies, 20€

The Dark Side of Graphic Design

They say there are the bad guy, the little hands of the financial capitalism and market ideology based on making people feel guilty, addict and in withdrawal. They say we should take fight against this commodification and quantification of the world, against those fashionable porno chic, trash advertisement images. Really? Let’s first have a look into it.

2008, Self-published, 80 pp., 27,5 x 32,5 cm, Silkscreen, xerox, French, German, ca. 200 copies, 30€

The american dreams

Excerpt: “Dream # 8 New York City. I’m in a girl arms, she is dressed in pink. We’re lying on a bed. People are passing by. Lynn is going to leave. I have to free myself and leave this girl to kiss Lynn and tell her goodbye. Lynn is also dressed in pink. The first girl looks at us and, then, discretely leaves with a friend.“

2011, Self-published, 72 pp., 219,5 x 25,5 cm, Risograph, French, German, English, 98 copies

Sold out

Short Films

Après le volcan / After the volcano

The earth quakes, ashes fall from the sky, and there’s this fire that firefighters don’t get to extinguish. The villagers decide to take refuge in the forest. Surrounded by wild beasts, a new life begins.

2016, 17′, Director: Léo Favier; With the voice of Lila Tamazit, Robert Nana, Tristan Fournier, Tiziana Jill Beck, Léo Favier; Editing and compositing: Arnaud Viémont; Music: Hideaki Tsuji; Sound design: Fabien Bourdier; Sound Editing: Brice Kartmann; Sound effect: Romain Anklewickz; Mixing: Xavier Marsais; Standardization: Mathilde Delacroix; Production: Les Films Sauvages – Jean-Christophe Soulageon with the support of Ciclic, France 3, Bip TV, CNC-Cosip, Procirep, Angoa.

Qui n’a pas sa part d’ombre / Who doesn’t have a dark side

The budget minister finds himself cornered by journalists. That’s it, they’ve found evidence of his secret Swiss bank account. Scandal! Resignation! How could things have come to such a pass?
To come up with an exit strategy, the minister dives back into his past.
Made using video clips taken from image banks, the film gives a humorous and exact account of the life of a politician who grabs every opportunity he can to succeed and clamber his way to the top.

2015, 15′, Director: Léo Favier; With the voice of Lambert Wilson; Editing and compositing: Arnaud Viémont; Music: Finchhatten; Sound Editing: Julien Ngo Trong; Sound effect: Romain Anklewickz; Mixing: Xavier Marsais; Image: Videohive, Shutterstock; Standardization: Mathilde Delacroix; Production: Les Films Sauvages – Jean-Christophe Soulageon, with Media solution – Jean-Pierre Pinco; with the support of CNC, Arte, Procirep, Angoa.

Kinoki, ou des solutions directes pour une vie meilleure

The franco-german team Léo Favier and “Schroeter und Berger” have found a S-8mm archive out of which they have made a docu-fictionnal movie. It is a portrait of an unfaltering village where people have found their own way to organize themselves. Here solidarity and involvement are rated very highly. In a precise and amusing way Kinoki gives you the indispensable know-how for a better life.

2012, 15′, Directors: Léo Favier and Schroeter und Berger; Narrator: Sacha Bourdo, Johannes Harth; Illustration: Tiziana Jill Beck; Animation: Schroeter und Berger; Music: Johannes Harth; Sound Editing: Julien Ngo-Trong; Production: Les Films Sauvages, Paris, Jean-Christophe Soulageon, Eric John Bretmel; with the support of Centrimages, SACEM/Centre Images

Commissions

About

contact
info@leofavier.fr

Education

2011 Diplom (Master of Arts), Berlin School of Art Weissensen
2007 Diplôme National d’Art Plastique, École Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs de Strasbourg

Film

In progress
Propaganda, Web-serie for Arte Creative, Production Les Bons Clients, 2017
Apollo ou la vie sauvage, Production Les Films Sauvages, 2018

Après le volcan / After the volcano
2016, 17′, Production Les Films Sauvages, with the support of Ciclic, Bip Tv, Cosip
TV broadcast: France 3
Award: Special Mention – 26th Aspen Shortfest, USA
Festival selection: 25th Curtas Vila do Conde IFF, PO; 19th International Environmental Film and Video Festival, Guaio, BR; 20th Cinemabiente, Torino, IT; 26th Aspen Shortfest, USA

Qui n’a pas sa part d’ombre / Who doesn’t have a dark side
2015, 15’, Production Les Films Sauvages with Media Solution, with the support of CNC, Arte, Procirep, Angoa
TV broadcast: Arte (France, Germany)
Award: Storyboomers – 23th Capalbio International Film Festival, Italy; Best Script – 10th Grand Off, Warsaw; Best video-art film, 20th Zoom Festival, Jelenia Gora
Festival selection: 20th Zoom Festival, Jelenia Gora, PO; 18th Festival International du Film d’Aubagne; 26th Curta Cinema 2016, Rio de Janeiro; 10th Grand Off World Independent Short Film Awards, Warsaw; 8th Petaluma international film festival, USA; 33th französiche Filmtage Tübingen-Stuttgart, DE; 2nd Combat – Festival International du Court-Métrage, Josselin; 31st Festival Européen du Film Court de Brest; Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2016, York, UK; Fingal Film Festival 2016, Dublin; Nordkapp Film Festival, Norway; 13th Jameson Cinefest, Miskolc International Film Festival, Hungary; 5e Festival Tournez-Court, Saint-Étienne; 13th Anonimul International Indépendant Film Festival, Romania; 5th Festival International du Film Grolandais, Toulouse; 6th Festival Chacun son court, Strasbourg; 9th Festival Partie(s) de Campagne, Ouroux-en-Morvan; 23th Capalbio International Film Festival, IT; 16e Festival de courts-métrages du Courtivore, Rouen; 19th Festival européen du court-métrage de Bordeaux Extérieur Nuit, Bordeaux.

Kinoki ou Des solutions directes pour une vie meilleure
2012, 15’, Directors: Léo Favier and Schroeter und Berger, production les Films Sauvages, with the support of Centre Images, SACEM/Centre Images
TV broadcast: CANAL + (France), CANAL + Afrique, RTS (Switzerland), Short TV (Internet)
Award: Prix de Qualité – Centre National du Cinéma; Prix du film expérimental, 11th Festival Magma – Mostra di cinema breve, Italy; Prix du documentaire, 14th Festival international du film d’Aubagne, France; Honorific Mention, 41th Festival international de Huesca, Spain; Red Wasp Community Spirit, 5th Red Wasp Film Festival, Bryan, USA
Festival selection: 4th Festival de la Nuit du Court du Pays de Grignan, Pègue, France; 21th Festival de Sarlat, France; 18th MedFilm de Rome, Italy; 13th Festival Off-Court de Trouville (HC); 11th Magma Festival – Mostra di cinema breve, Acireale, Italy; 16th Festival International de Jihlava, Prague, Czech Republic; 28th International Short Film Festival Interfilm Berlin, Germany; 42th Festival international du film Modolist, Kiev, Ukraine (HC); 18th Festival on Wheels, Ankara, Turkey; 21th Festival de Vendôme, France (HC); 10th Festival des Bobines Sociales, Paris, France; 14th Festival du film d’Aubagne, France; 12th festival Eugeania, Italy; 41th Festival international de Huesca, Spain; 21th Festival Contravision, Berlin, Germany; 6th Rencontres du Cinéma et de la Télévision de Lomé, Togo; 5th Festival Klappe Auf, Hamburg, Germany; 5th Red Wasp Film Festival, Bryan, USA; 21th Blicke Film Festival, Bochum, Germany (HC); Festival Reims toi l’oeil, 2013 Reims, France

Published work

2015 Jungle, or clearing a path threw family trees with a machete, Ghost Edition, Lisboa
2014 What you don’t know Grapus? / Comment, tu ne connais pas Grapus ?, Spector books, Leipzig
2012 Visit le bateau pirate, self-published (291 numbered ex.)
2011 Les rêves américains, self-published (98 numbered ex.)
2008 The dark side of graphic design, self-published (200 ex.)

Residency

2014 Musée de l’hospice Saint-Roch, Issoudun (avec Ciclic Pôle Patrimoine)
2010 3bisf, lieu d’arts contemporains, Aix-en-Provence

Group exhibition

2014 Un tour de France des jeunes graphistes, Fête du graphisme, Paris and Mois du graphisme d’Échirolles
2012 Iron Cubes – 23e Festival international de l’affiche et du graphisme de Chaumont
2011 Weisse mit Schuss – Degree Show, Kunsthalle am Hamburgerplatz, Berlin
Semaine partagée, 3bisf, lieu d’arts contemporains, Aix-en-Provence
Berlin Next, la Gaieté lyrique, Paris
2010 1st international Bienne City Fanzine Week, Bienne
GuteSeiten-Award, Der Kunstverein, Hamburg
2009 Thanks for Sharing!, D21, Kunstraum Leipzig
2008 Baustelle Identität, Kreuzberg Museum, Berlin
Immigration-Emigration, Cité Nationale de l’Histoire de l’Immigration, Paris

Press

2015 Télérama Nr. 3397, Comment, tu ne connais pas Grapus?
2012 Mouvement, Nr. 63, les livres photographiques
Etapes graphiques, Nr. 197 spécial diplômes 2011
2011 Slanted magazine, Nr. 11
Behind the Zines, Self-publishing culture, Die Gestalten Verlag

Conference, lecture, workshop

2015 Temi residency, Daejeon, South-Korea, lecture
The book society, Seoul, lecture
2013 Atelier de Visu, Marseille, with Charles Fréger, workshop about photobook design
2012 Institut Français de Berlin, festival Une valise à Berlin / Ein Koffer in Berlin, lecture
2011 Galerie Anatome, Paris, lecture
2009 Werktage, Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle, lecture
Collège Ferdinand de Lesseps, Vatan, atelier « 20 photo-reportages » (5e)
Groupe scolaire Auron B, Bourges, atelier « carnets de voyage » (CE1-CE2)

Community art projects, public space

2014 Wandertag #10, #11, La Briqueterie, CDC du Val-de-Marne, Vitry-sur-Seine and Les Brigittines, centre des arts du mouvement, Bruxelles, european project Metamorphosiss
2014 Le quotidien des Plateaux, at Maison des Arts de Créteil for the Biennale de Danse du Val-de-Marne (every year between 2010-2014)
2012 PASS AUF, 23th Festival international de l’affiche et du graphisme de Chaumont
2010 Wandertag #9, 3bisf, Hopital Montperrin, Aix-en-Provence
Rundgang, KH Berlin-Weißensee
2009 Wandertag #8, Kreuzberg Museum, nuit des musées, Berlin
Les Actualités graçayaises 2009, installation sonore, Graçay
2008 Die Aktionsklasse, Berlin
Wandertag #7, Cité nationale de l’histoire de l’immigration, Paris
2007 Wandertag #1-6, Soldiener Kiez, Wedding, Berlin

Clients

Lacoste, Mac/Val, Les Brigittines, Bruxelles, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Atelier de Visu, Marseille, Pôle Image Haute-Normandie, Kreuzberg Museum für Stadtentwicklung und Sozialgeschichte, La Briqueterie, CDC du Val-de-Marne, Cité nationale de l’histoire de l’immigration, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, KunstREpublik e.V. Steidl, Kehrer Verlag, Vergangenheit Verlag, Actes Sud, Thames and Hudson, Nature Humaine, Peliti associati, Dewi Lewis Publishing, Ghost Edition, Seigensha Art Publishing Inc., Tokyo