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May 11, 2017

Born and raised in the Netherlands, Michael attended the Geneva School of Fine Arts in Switzerland before graduating from the West Surrey College of Art in England with his first film in 1978.

Michael is presently based in London where he directs and animates award-winning commercials for television and cinema.

Michael's earlier animated shorts include Tom Sweep and The Monk and the Fish, which was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Cesar Award, and the Cartoon d'Or.

Michael's most well-known short film Father and Daughter won an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and the Grand Prix at Annecy. He later worked on The Aroma of Tea, an experimental film painted entirely with tea.

Michael's most recent film is the award-winning animated feature, The Red Turtle, a wordless fable of a man shipwrecked on a desert island who encounters a mysterious sea creature. The Red Turtle was the first non-Japanese film to be produced by Studio Ghibli.