Stéphan Balay
co-director of the movie
Montpellier - France
Stéphan studied cinema from high school then at university while volunteering on local television.
After 2 years of National Civil Service from 1994 to 1996, within the local TV Télé Millevaches, Stéphan joined in 1998 a major Strasbourg production company, Via Storia Production, as assistant director on institutional films and commercials for companies.
His versatility also led him as an editor to the local office of the television news at France 2, as well as the service of foreign television channels at the European Parliament and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg during the parliamentary sessions.
In 2001, Stéphan joined the team of the regional daily tv magazine "Le 12/14" of France 3 Alsace (Strasbourg) and made reports for 7 years. He has also participated in other shows as a columnist.
While working for television, he continued to make movies.
In 2005 and 2006 he directed two documentaries, "Petit à Petit" ("Step by Step") produced by France Télévisions, and "L'eau, le Sel, la Vie, voyage de solidarité au Niger" ("Water, Salt, Life, solidarity trip to Niger") produced by L'Ami du Vent.
In 2016 Stéphan co-directed the feature film documentary "Comme des funambules” (“tightrope walkers")
In 2018 he directed the feature film documentary “Vitis prohibita, resistant grapes coming out of the shadows” (French national release in theater in November 2019), and won prices in international festivals.
He begins filming "Bon Voyage Vitis" in 2019, with the American ampelographer Lucie Morton.
