Jaco Van Dormael／Michèle Anne De Mey
Director and Scriptwriter／Choreographer and Finger Dance Designer
Director and Scriptwriter／Jaco Van Dormael
Acclaimed worldwide as one of Belgium’s most visionary directors, Jaco Van Dormael began his filmmaking career in the early 1980s with short films and documentaries. His 1991 debut feature Toto le Héros introduced his signature dreamlike style, blending humor with childlike wonder. The film earned the prestigious Caméra d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the César Award for Best Foreign Film.
His subsequent films, including The Eighth Day (1996), Mr. Nobody (2009), and The Brand New Testament (2015), received widespread international acclaim for their originality and emotional depth. Since 2011, Van Dormael has shifted his focus to the stage, co-creating Kiss & Cry (2011), Cold Blood (2015), and Amor (2017) with his choreographer partner Michèle Anne De Mey.
Choreographer and Finger Dance Designer／Michèle Anne De Mey
Belgian dancer and choreographer Michèle Anne De Mey founded the company Astragales in 1989, establishing a creative base in Brussels. Since then, she has developed over 30 original works that reflect her distinctive choreographic vision. Her 1990 piece Sinfonia Eroïca received widespread acclaim and marked her emergence on the international stage through award-winning tours.
From 2005 to 2015, De Mey served as Co-Artistic Director of Charleroi-Danses, the choreography center of the French Community of Belgium. She is known for cultivating a rich and diverse choreographic world grounded in intimacy, narrative, emotional depth, and deconstruction. Her work is characterized by a deep sensitivity to the connection between music and movement. In addition to her artistic creations, she is also committed to nurturing emerging talent through workshops and teaching.