Michel Fessler was born on 19 March 1955 in Oullins-Pierre-Bénite, Rhône, France. He was a writer and director, known for Bambi: A Tale of Life in the Woods (2024), Tamara and The Sea Wall (2008). He died on 19 August 2025 in Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France.
Biography from IMDb.
- March 19, 1955
- August 19, 2025 (aged 70)
- Lyon, France
- Writer, also director
- 13 on MovieCove · 34 credits in all
What are Michel Fessler's films like?
Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Power.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 12
Light 2 · Serious 7 · Dark 4
Grounded 1 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 2
Gentle 4 · Charged 8 · Intense 1
Steady 10 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1
Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0
Casual 5 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 0
A split, not a type: Easy watch 6 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 2
Resolved 12 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy2
- Bittersweet7
- Ambiguous3
- Cyclical1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Michel Fessler's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 13 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).
- BritBox
Subscription and free streaming for Michel Fessler's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
34 credits, 13 with a MovieCove page.
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
Visions(2023)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
The Way to Happiness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Heart of an Oak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
The Lady in the Portrait(2017)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
A Jew Must Die (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
Run (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Land of the Bears (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
African Safari (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
The Catch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
T'choupi et ses amis - Font du poney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Ao: The Last Hunter(2010)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Louis XV, le Soleil noir (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
T'choupi à table (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
The Sea Wall(2008)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
My Heart Laid Bare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Birth of Civilization (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
El Amanecer del Hombre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Serko (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
Man to Man(2005)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
March of the Penguins(2005)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
T'choupi(2004)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
South of the Clouds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Quand tu descendras du ciel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Hanuman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
Sidecar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Ridicule(1996)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
The Year of Awakening (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Pipaluk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Tamara (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 32 titles, 30 of them dated from 1991 to 2024.
Biggest box office
March of the Penguins (2005)
Highest rated
March of the Penguins (2005)
Most popular right now
Bambi: A Tale of Life in the Woods (2024)
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
Awards
Nominated for a Writers Guild Award in 2006.
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Michel Fessler's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 13; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 65th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up6
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th4
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
5 of their 13 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved2
- Loved with Detractors1
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser5
- Mixed4
Reviewers score the dialogue 54/100 and the plot and story 53/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Michel Fessler's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Michel Fessler work with?
People who share at least 2 of Michel Fessler's MovieCove titles; Charles Berling shares the most, 2.
- Charles BerlingShared titles: March of the Penguins (2005), Ridicule (1996)See all 2 shared titles with Charles Berling
- Didier BrunnerShared titles: T'choupi (2004), The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Bear (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Didier Brunner