Frédéric Back, Director of “The Man Who Planted Trees,” Dies at 89

Animation legend Frédéric Back, the two-time Oscar-winning director of The Man Who Planted Trees, Crac!, and The Mighty River, passed away this morning at his home in Montreal. The cause of death was cancer, according to the LA Times. Born in France on April 8, 1924, Back was a prolific illustrator and graphic artist in addition to being a filmmaker and animator. He documented his life and work in extensive detail on his personal website. [UPDATE: Worth reading is this remembrance of Back by historian Charles Solomon.]

His films, beautiful and expressive works of art in their own right, are also noteworthy for their environmental and social consciousness. In his memory, we present a selection of films from throughout his animation career:

Abracadabra (1970)

¿Illusion? (1975)

Tout rien (1978)

Crac! (1981)

The Man Who Planted Trees (1987)

The Mighty River (1993, in French)