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Animator and director Henri Heidsieck was born on December 8, 1947, in Reims, located in France's Champagne region. He studied at the School of Art and Design in Reims and established the PHAR 3 animation workshop in 1973. His first significant film role was as a trace and paint artist on "Les douze travaux d'Astérix" (The Twelve Tasks of Asterix, 1976).
Heidsieck collaborated with director Bernard Germain on the documentaries "Annapurna, premier 8000 à ski" (1979) and "Un pic pour Lénine" (1981). In 1981, Germain authored the book "Sentiers de l'Himalaya," which Heidsieck illustrated. He also worked as assistant director to Jean-François Laguionie on the animated sci-fi film "Gwen, le livre de sable" (Gwen, the Book of Sand, 1985), and later on the feature films "Le château des singes" (A Monkey's Tale, 1999) and "L'île de Black Mór" (Black Mor's Island, 2004). Between 1989 and 1990, Heidsieck directed the TV series "Histoires de la Maison Bleue," written by Gabriella Verna, and in 1990 directed the short film "Jojo & Paco," based on comic characters by Isabelle Wilsdorf. In 1992, he served as first assistant director on the TV series "Tales of the Tooth Fairies."
During the 1990s, Heidsieck directed several animated shorts and TV specials with Christmas themes, which gained popularity in the United States on television and home video. Titles include "Le Père Noël et les enfants du désert" (Santa's Christmas Crash, or Santa and the Desert Children, 1994) and "Le Père Noël et le magicien" (Santa's Christmas Snooze, or Santa and the Magician, 1995), both centered on Santa Claus, as well as "La merveilleuse Histoire de Noël" (The Story of Christmas, 1994), an animated retelling of Christ’s birth. "Santa's Last Christmas," featuring Hugh Laurie’s voice, was released in 1999 and has aired in over 40 countries. In 1996, Heidsieck was a unit director on the British animated series "Romuald the Reindeer," which follows a Christmas reindeer’s adventures.
In 2000, Heidsieck directed "Le tour du monde en 80 jours" (Around the World in 80 Days), an animated TV adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic novel. In 2003, he co-directed the animated TV series "Viva Carthago," a collaborative project among Mediterranean companies and countries. His notable shorts from the 2000s include "Un cadeau pour Sélim" (A Gift For Selim, 2001), "L'Oiseau Do" (The Dream Bird, 2004), and "Petit Wang" (Wang and the Dragon, 2005). In 2009, he contributed as pre-production director on Dominique Monféry's feature film "Kérity, la maison des contes" (Eleanor's Secret).
Throughout his career, Henri Heidsieck regularly participated in France’s Annecy International Animated Film Festival. His short films showcased there include "Tant qu'il y aura des feuilles" (1973), "Dé profondis" (1976), "Spirale" (1985), and "La Montagne du Loup" (1986). He also founded an animation workshop for children in Reims. In 2011, Heidsieck served as head of the International Competition Jury at the 18th KROK International Animated Films Festival in Ukraine.
