A massive hit on the festival circuit, Franck Dion’s short film “Per Aspera Ad Astra” uses miniatures and animation to strike a soft and enigmatic tone while it explores the life of a little hen balancing her work and family life.

Produced by Paris prodco Papy3D, the film (whose title comes from Latin “through hardships to the stars”) accents its melancholy world-building with cryptic observations about the inhabitants like “Smooth talkers rip people’s hearts out” and “They believe that TV relies on a value system.”

If your in the mood for more of Franck Dion’s visionary work, take a peek at his multi-award winning short “Monsieur COK”.
 

 
Production: Papy3D Productions
Director: Franck Dion
Writer: Kent
Art director: Franck Dion
Editor/compositor: Franck Dion
Executive producer: Franck Dion
Producer: Richard Van Den Boom
Rigging: Thomas Machart
Animation: Gilles Cuvelier, Gabriel Jacquel, Thomas Machart
Backgrounds: Franck Dion
Chief miniatures: Zoé Goethegeluck
Miniatures: Franck Dion, Marion Le Guillou
Interns Miniatures: Colinne Durtschi, Alice Rameau, Guillermina Scaraffia, Anna Brisset

Image post-production studio: Digital Cut

Musical studio: Sequenza
Music: Pierre Caillet
Musicians : Kent (song), Yoann Couix (flute), Stéphane Daniélidès (sousaphone), Christophe Girard (accordion), Eric Lacrouts (violin), Guillaume Martigné (cello), Edward Perraud (drums), Christophe Touzalin (trumpet)
Music recording/mixer: Thomas Vingtrinier
Sound design: Pierre Yves Drapeau
Foley: Lise Wedlock
Mix: Pierre Yves Drapeau, Benoit Coallier
Voices: Franck Dion (narrateur), Gaëtan Gallier (poules)
Sound post-production studios: Studiotoons, L’Oreille externe

Translations : Camille Pesquer, Aida Alarcón Sánchez

Animation software: DUIK

Supported by: CNC, Arte, Pictanovo, the SPEDIDAM, Procirep, Angoa, Franck Dion