Le visage de Pavil is a tale of suspense that also subtly explores the subjects of ecology, exile and where beliefs stand in society. It encourages travel, discovery and escape.

Pavil lives in an imaginary empire and one day sets off on a journey that will change his life and his beliefs. When his plane crashes in Lapyoza, a mysterious village surrounded by mountains, the locals approach him with hesitation. They are initially suspicious of this stranger, unsure whether or not he is a spy.  But, little by little, Pavil comes to understand their customs, rites and beliefs that revolve around a deity living off the coast of a forbidden island.

 

"I looked into lots of myths and many different cultures in order to create a hybrid," explains Jeremy Perrodeau, whose first graphic novels Crépuscule and Le long des ruines have already enchanted critics and readers in France.

 

Jeremy Perrodeau has constructed a subtle tale of stratified mysteries that the reader seeks to solve layer by layer from Pavil's point-of-view, without ever fully succeeding.

 

What happens when we find ourselves somewhere different? What happens when we are confronted with another culture - another way of considering things? These are the questions that are raised in this imaginary world illustrated using soft colors, both minimalistic and abundant, in the tradition of Japanese prints.

 

Winner of the Fauve des lycéens at the 2024 Angoulême festival, Le visage de Pavil has sold more than 7,000 copies in France. Translation rights have been sold in English (United States, Canada), German, and Turkish.

 

Katja Petrovic
November 2024