Herecentlyreceived the BestDirector prize at the CannesInternationalFilm Festival for his French-language feature the DivingBelland the Butterfly scheduled for released in the autumn of 2007.
Jurors said the film, which picked up the best first feature award at the Berlin International Film Festival in February, "offers us a transcendent tale of hope and perseverance in a world that few Westerners ever have the chance to see".