Larry Towell's business card reads 'Human Being'. Experience as a poet and a folk musician has done much to shape his personal style. The son of a car repairman, Towell grew up in a large family in rural Ontario. During studies in visual arts at Toronto's York University, he was given a camera and taught how to process black and white film.
A stint of volunteer work in Calcutta in 1976 provoked Towell to photograph and write. Back in Canada, he taught folk music to support himself and his family. In 1984 he became a freelance photographer and writer focusing on the dispossessed, exile and peasant rebellion. He completed projects on the Nicaraguan Contra war, on the relatives of the disappeared in Guatemala, and on American Vietnam War veterans who had returned to Vietnam to rebuild the country. His first published magazine essay, 'Paradise Lost', exposed the ecological consequences of the catastrophic Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska's Prince William Sound. He became a Magnum nominee in 1988, and a full member in 1993.
In 1996 Towell completed a project based on ten years of reportage in El Salvador, followed the next year by a major book on the Palestinians. His fascination with landlessness also led him to the Mennonite migrant workers of Mexico, an eleven-year project completed in 2000. With the help of the inaugural Henri Cartier-Bresson Award, he finished a second highly acclaimed book on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in 2005, and in 2008 released the award-winning The World From My Front Porch, a project on his own family in rural Ontario where he sharecrops a 75 acre farm.
INTERNATIONAL AWARDS
2011 Paul de Hueck and Norman Walford Career Achievement Award, Ontario Arts Foundation.
2010 Magnum Foundation Emergency Fund Award.
2009 The World From My Front Porch- One of ten best photo books of 2008, Photo-eye
2009 The World From My Front Porch- And/or Photography Book Award (Kraszna-Krausz Foundation, UK- shortlisted)
2009 The World From My Front Porch- One of 50 Best photo books of the year. Festival Of The Photograph. Charlottesville, Virginia.
2008 One of the year’s best pictures, Photo District News.
2007 Achievement In Filmmaking Award, New York Independent Film And Video Festival.
2007 Alicia Patterson Award (USA, Finalist)
2006 PDN Photo Annual: One of the year’s best projects.
2005 Prix Nadar (best photography book published in France 2005.)
2003 Henri Cartier-Bresson Award (France)
2002 Roloff Beny Book Award (Canada)
2001 British Design and Art Direction (D&AD) Award London, UK (1st Prize)
2000 Society for News Design Award, La Nacion (Argentina)
2000 Photo-eye Award, Citation of Excellence (USA)
1999 Hasselblad Foundation Award (Sweden)
1999 Roloff Beny Book Award (Canada)
1999 POY (Pictures of the Year, University of Missouri) special recognition, Canon Photo Essayist
1999 POY Best Use of Photography in Books
1998 Alfred Eisenstadt Award; Portraiture, Columbia University, NYC, (1st prize)
1998 Pictures of the Year Foundation, University of Missouri; Pictorial (1st prize)
1998 Pictures of the Year Foundation, University of Missouri; Feature Stories (2nd prize)
1998 Overseas Press Club, New York, Citation of Excellence.
1998 Society of Publication Designers (SPD) Magazine of the Year, NY Times, BEING 13
1998 SPD- Merit Award, NY Times Magazine.
1997 Maine Photographic Workshops, Golden Light Award for El Salvador , best monograph/book of 1997.
1997 SPD- Merit Award, LIFE MAGAZINE, Feature Story.
1996 Pictures of the Year Foundation, Special Recognition, Canon Photo Essayist
1996 Oskar Barnack Leica Award (Germany).
1996 El Mundo Award (Spain)
1995 Ernst Haas Foundation Award (USA)
2000-95-94 Canadian National Magazine Awards (Gold)
1995-93-91 Western Canada magazine Awards (Gold)
1994 Pictures of the Year Foundation, University of Missouri; Canon Photo Essayist (1st prize)
1994 World Press Foundation (Amsterdam); World Press Photo of the Year (1st prize), Daily Life Stories (1st prize), General News Stories (1st prize)
1993 World Press Foundation (Amsterdam); Daily Life Stories (1st prize)
1991 W Eugene Smith Foundation Award (International Centre of Photography, New York)
BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR
2008 The World From My Front Porch, Chris Boot (UK)
2008 The Cardboard House, Trolley, (Italy)
2006 In The Wake Of Hurricane Katrina, Archive Of Modern Conflict (UK)
2005 No Man’s Land, Textuel (France) Chris Boot (UK).
2005 Larry Towell, (Magnum Series) Hachette, France.
2000 The Mennonites, Phaidon Press (UK, France).
1999 Then Palestine, Aperture (USA); Marval (France)
1997 El Salvador, W.W. Norton/Doubletake Books (USA)
1994 House on Ninth Street, Cormorant Books, Dunvegan, ON.
1992 The Prison Poems of Ho Chi Minh, Cormorant Books, Dunvegan, ON.
1990 Somoza's Last Stand, Williams-Wallace Publishers, Stratford, ON.
1988 Gifts of War, Coach House Press, Toronto, ON.
1983 Burning Cadillacs, Black Moss Press, Windsor, ON.
GROUP BOOKS
2010 Engaged Observers, The J Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
2009 Access To Life, Aperture, USA.
2007 Magnum Magnum, Thames & Hudson, UK
2007 Magnum 60 years, Magnum (Paris)
2005 Things As They Are, Boot, UK
2004 Magnum Stories, Phaidon, UK
2004 Outside The Ordinary, Aperture, NYC.
2003 New Yorkers, Powerhouse, NYC.
2003 al gusta de Cartier-Bresson, Fundacio ôla Caixaö, Paris.
2002 Aperture At 50, Aperture, NY, USA.
2002 Le Photojournalisme Aux Encheres 2002, Thierry de Maigret, Paris, France.
2002 This Is New York, Scalo, NYC
2002 The Best of 2002, American Photography, USA
2002 Confronting Views, aurora borealis, Netherlands.
2002 La fotografia tra storia e poesi, Mazzotta, Italy.
2002 Schattenlicht, GEO, Germany.
2002 Endure, The Rockerfeller Foundation, USA.
2002 Magnum Football, Phaidon, UK.
2002 Non a la pollution, Editions PEMF, France.
2001 New York September 11 by Magnum Photographers, Powerhouse, USA.
2001 woman. Running Press, USA.
1999 Magnum O, Phaidon UK.
1999 Crimes of War, W.W. Norton and Company, USA.
1998 Israel 50 Years, Aperture, USA.
1998 Hope, Thames and Hudson, USA.
1998 War, Presse de la Cite, Paris, France.
1997 Guerra Fratricidas, Fundacion Caixa, Spain.
1996 Magnum Landscape, Phaidon, UK
1995 The Critical Mirror, World Press Photo 40 Year Anniversary Issue, The Netherlands.
1992 Flesh and Blood: Photographer's Images of their own Families, The Picture Project, New York, USA.
1991 Companeros, Cormorant Books, Dunvegan, Ontario.
1988 Garden Varieties, Cormorant Books, Dunvegan, Ontario.
1988 A Labour of Love, Polestar Books, Winlaw, BC.
CATALOGUES:
1997 Larry Towell, Fundacion Caixagalicia, Spain.
1988 Gifts Of War, Art Gallery Of Windsor, Windsor, ON.
GROUP CATALOGUES:
2010 Engaged Observers, Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA.
2003 Foundation HCB, Paris France, 2003.
2001 Spirit of Religion, Photographic Centre, Skopelos, Greece.
1997 Printemps Palestine, AFAA, France.
1997 The Garden of Eden, Noorderlicht Festival, Holland.
1996 America Observed, 92nd Street Y, NYC.
1994 Carnets de Voyage, CMCP, Ottawa.
1994 Bambini de Guerra, Contrasto, Milan, Italy.
1990 Le Mois de la Photo, Montreal, Que.
RECENT SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2011 Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Toronto.
2011 Museum London, London, ON.
2010 Palazzo dei Duchi dÆAcquivia, Atri, Abruzzo, Italy.
2010 Stephen Bulger Gallery, Toronto, ON.
2009 McDonough Museum Of Art, Youngstown, Ohio.
2008 George Eastman House, Rochester, NY.
2008 Stephen Bulger Gallery, Toronto.
2007 University Of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington KY, USA.
2007 Arthur Ross Gallery, Pennsylvania, USA.
2006 Le theatre de la photographie et de l’image, Nice, France.
2006 FOAM, Amsterdam, Holland.
2006 Galerie Zola, Aix-en-provence, France.
2005 L’Espace Malraux Scene Nationale de Chambery, Chambery, France.
2005 No ManÆs Land, Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, Paris, France
2005 No Mans Land, Stephen Bulger Gallery, Toronto, ON
2005 Projects, Michael Gibson Gallery, London, ON
2004 Alice Austin Museum, New York City, USA
2003 Festival Fotografia, Rome.
2003 The Caixa Forum, Barcelona, Spain.
2003 Oratorio del Caravita, Rome, Italy.
2003 Presentation House, Vancouver, BC
2003 Kunsthalle Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany.
2002 Canada House (Canadian High Commission) London, UK
2002 Leaf Rapids National Exhibition Centre, Leaf Rapids, Manitoba
2002 University of Northern British Colombia, Prince George, B.C.
2002 Gallery Lambton, Sarnia, ON.
2002 Leaf Rapids National Exhibition Centre, Leaf Rapids, MA.
2001 National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland.
2001 Catherine Edelman Gallery, Chicago.
2001 The Leica Gallery, New York City.
2001 Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, Ottawa.
2001 McLaren Art Centre, Barrie, ON.
2000 Staedtische Gallery, Iserlohn, Germany.
2000 Aleppo Photo Festival, Aleppo, Syria.
2000 Canadian Embassy, Damascus, Syria.
2000 London Regional Art Gallery, London, ON.
2000 Perpignan Photo Festival, Perpignan, France.
2000 The Leica Gallery, New York City.
2000 Stephen Bulger Gallery, Toronto, ON.
1999 Cambridge Art Gallery, Cambridge, ON.
1998 Aubenades de la Photographie, Aubenas, France
1998 Elvehjem Museum of Art, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
1998 Wisconsin Union Gallery, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
1998 Vox Populi, Montreal, Que.
1998 Sala Caixa Galicia, Lugo, Spain
1998 Circulo de Bellas Artes, Madrid, Spain
1998 Sala Caixa Galicia, Vigo, Spain
1997 Manifestations Culturelles, Nablus, Ramallah, East Jerusalem, (West Bank).
1997 The Leica Gallery, New York City.
1997 Stephen Bulger Gallery, Toronto, ON.
1997 Sala de la Expositions Kiosko Alfonso, La Coruna, Spain.
1997 Montparnesse FNAC, Paris, France, national tour.
1997 Noorderlicht Photo Festival, Gronigen, The Netherlands.
1996 Zelda Cheatle Gallery, London, UK.
1996 Stephen Bulger Gallery, Toronto, ON.
1995 Gallery "Kimon", Athens, Greece.
1995 Das Bildforum Foto Festival, Herten, Germany.
1994 The Photo Passage, Harbourfront, Toronto, ON.
1994 Ecole Sup "le 15", Brussels, Belgium.
1994 Shepherd College, Shepherdstown, W. Virginia, USA.
1994 Retrospective, Nieuwekerk Cathedral, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
1994 Recontres Photographiques de Normandie, Abbey St. Ouen, Rouen, France.
1994 Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, Ottawa.
1992 National Library of Canada, Ottawa.
1992 The Photo Passage, Harbourfront, Toronto.
1991 Forest City Gallery, London, ON.
1991 Maison de la Culture Plateau, Montreal, Que.
1991 Spencer Gallery, University of Western Ontario, London, ON.
1991 Christ Church, Hamilton, ON.
1990 Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge, Alta.
1990 Dunlop Gallery, Regina, Sask.
1989 Toronto Photographer's Workshop, Toronto.
1989 Sarnia Public Art Gallery, Sarnia, ON.
1989 London Regional Art Gallery, London, ON.
1989 The Photographer's Gallery, Saskatoon, Sask.
1988 Art Gallery of Windsor, Windsor, ON.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS (1997-2013)
2013 Sala Gasco Arte Contemporaneo, Santiago, Chile.
2013 Monash Gallery Of Art, Victoria, Australia.
2012 Sydney Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia.
2012 Hangaram Museum, Seoul, South Korea.
2012 Lumiere Brothers Center For Photography, Moscow, Russia.
2011 Les Recontres dÆ Arles, France.
2011 Perpignan, France (slide show).
2010 African American Museum and Library, Oakland, CA.
2010 Bcc Berliner Congress Center, Berlin, German
2010 United Nations, New York City, New York.
2010 Asahi Mullioin Gallery, Tokyo, Japan.
2010 Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA.
2010 Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC.
2010 African American Museum, Oakland, CA.
2009 Contact Photo Festival, Toronto.
2009 Pont de la Machine, Geneva, Switzerland.
2009 Matadero Museu, Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
2009 Stenersen Museum, Oslo, Norway.
2009 Ara Pacis, Rome, Italy.
2008 Accueillie par le Musee de L’Homme, Paris, France
2008 Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver BC.
2008 PathT Palace, Buxelles, Belgium.
2008 Access To Life, Corcoran Museum Of Art, Washington DC.
2007 Nicephore, Clermont-Ferrand, Puy de Dome, France.
2007 Museum London. London, ON.
2007 Art Gallery Of Windsor, Windsor, ON.
2007 Paris Photo Fair, Le Louvre, Paris, France.
2006 Nobel Peace Center, Oslo, Norway.
2006 Museum GEO-CHARLES, Echirolles, France.
2006 Remembering 911- 1 Liberty Plaza, NY, NY
2006 Lazienki Park, Warsaw, Poland.
2005 Paris Photo Fair, Le Louvre, Paris, France.
2005 Leica Gallery, NYC, USA.
2005 Dfphoto, San Sebastian, Spain. Cervantes Festival, Alca de Henares, Spain.
2004 Open Society Institute, New York City, USA.
2004 Vancouver Image Works Gallery, Vancouver, BC.
2004 Philadelphia Museum Of Art, Philadelphia, USA.
2004 Michael Gibson Gallery, London, ON.
2004 The Museum Of The City Of New York, NYC. USA.
2003 Caixaforum, Barcelona, Spain.
2003 The Fleeting Moment, Fundacion Agnellion, Torino, Italy.
2003 Museo Nationale del Cinema, Turin, Italy.
2003 Pace/Macgill Gallery, NYC, USA.
2003 The Leica Gallery, Prague, Czeck Republic.
2003 Paris Photo, Paris France.
2003 Fundacion ôla Caixaö, Barcelona, Spain.
2003 Catherine Edelman Gallery, Chicago, USA.
2003 Pictou Gallery, Toronto, ON
2003 Weltkulturerbe Voelklingen Hutte, Germany.
2003 The Henry Cartier-Bresson Foundation, Paris, France.
2003 Aperture At 50, SothebyÆs, NYC.
2003 The Photographer’s Gallery, London, UK.
2002 Nihombashi Mitsukoshi, Tokyo, Japan.
2002 School of Visual Arts, New York City.
2002 Art Gallery of Windsor, Windsor, ON.
2002 New York State Museum, New York City.
2002 Chicago Historical Society, Chicago, Ill.
2002 Forest City Gallery, London. ON.
2002 Fondazione Nazionale Italiana per la Fotografia, Torino, Italy.
2002 Noorderlicht Photo Festival, Gronigen, The Netherlands.
2002 housatonic museum, Bridgeport, CT. USA.
2002 The Whopping Hydro Electric Plant Gallery, London, UK.
2002 Musee de l’Elysee, Lausanne, Switzerland.
2002 National Arts Club, New York City, USA.
2002 Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada.
2002 Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
2002 The Harbourfront, Toronto, ON.
2001 Spirit of Religion, Cinema Museum, Saronique, Greece.
2001 National Photography Centre, Sopelos, Greece.
2001 New York Historical Society, New York City.
2001 Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, Ottawa, Canada.
2001 Here In New York, Spring Street Gallery, New York City, NY.
2000 The Barbican, London, UK.
2000 Seiba Gallery, Tokyo, Japan.
2000 The Museum of Art, Osaka, Kintetsu, Japaan.
2000 Michael Gibson Gallery, London, ON.
2000 Portland Museum of Art, Portland ME.
2000 Beaux Arts of Charleroi and Brussels 2000 Committee; Brussels, Belgium.
2000 Biblioteque Nationale de France, Paris, France.
2000 New York Historical Society, NYC, USA.
2000 The Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan.
2000 Palazzo del Esposizioni, Rome, Italy.
2000 Kunsthaus Caserne, Zurich, Switzerland.
2000 Deichtoraller, Hamburg, Germany.
2000 Reina Sofia Museum of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
2000 Botanique, Brussels, Belgium.
2000 Louiyana Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark.
1999 Art Director's Club, NYC.
1999 The Alternative Museum, NYC.
1999 Le Pont Gallery, Aleppo, Syria.
1998 "Underexposed" Underground Station Zinkensdamm, Stockholm, Sweden.
1998 Gallerie du Chateau d'Eau, Toulouse, France.
1998 Museum of Jewish Heritage, NYC.
1998 The Station Gallery, Whitby, ON.
1997 Stephen Bulger Gallery, Toronto.
1997 Art Gallery of North York, North York, ON.
1997 Galerie d'art du Centre Cultural Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Que.
1997 Milton J. Weil Art Gallery, NYC.
1997 Musee de Quebec, Quebec City, Que.
1997 Kasan Museum Exhibition Centre, Hazelton, BC.
1997 The National Arts Club, NYC.
1997 Casa de Vacas de Ritiro, Madrid, Spain.
1997 Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton, BC,
1996 Les Paysages de Magnum, Bon Marche, Paris, France.
1996 pARTs Gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
1996 Kent Gallery, Soho, NYC.
1996 Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, BC.
1995 Photographic Centre of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Holland.
1995 The Art Institute of Boston, Boston. Mass.
1995 World Press Photo Exhibition; international tour.
1995 Galerie St. Etienne, NYC.
1994 World Press Photo Exhibition: international tour.
1994 Galerie de Chateau, Toulouse, France.
1994 Ansel Adams Centre of Photography, San Francisco, CA. USA.
1993 World Press Photo Exhibition: international tour.
1993 Kilbany Museum, Scotland.
1993 Vietnam Veteran's Administration Hospital, Martinsburg,
W. Virginia, USA.
1993 Nikon House, NYC.
1993 International Centre of Photography (ICP), NYC.
1993 Hagerstown College Gallery, Hagerstown, MD., USA.
1993 Capocon Resort, Berkley, MD., USA.
COLLECTIONS:
The Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA.
The George Eastman House, Rochester, NY
National Museum of Qatar, Qatar.
The National Archives Of Canada . Ottawa
Archive Of Modern Conflict, London, UK
Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation, Paris, France.
Montreal Museum Of Fine Arts, Montreal, QC
LÆHoist Collection (France)
Vancouver Art Gallery
The Teutloff Collection, Bielefeld, Germany.
Musee Des Beaux-Arts De Montreal
Philadelphia Museum of Art (USA)
National Gallery (Canada)
The Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography
Art Gallery of Ontario (Canada)
Galerie du Chateau d'Eau (France)
Cedar Rapids Museum of Art (USA)
Noordelicht Collection, Gronigen (Holland).
The Ernst Haas Memorial Collection, Portland Museum of Art (USA)
Elvehjem Museum of Art, Madison, Wisconsin (USA).
Ecole Sup "le 15" (Belgium)
FNAC (France)
Art Gallery of Windsor (Canada)
Canadian Museum of Contemporary Art
Toronto Photographer's Workshop (Canada)
Private collections
PERIODICAL and magazine publications include: The New York Times Magazine, Aperture, Photo District News, American Photography, Doubletake, LIFE Magazine, TIME Magazine, Rolling Stone (USA), Das Magazine, Bilanz (Switzerland), Profil (Austria), GEO, Stern, Lux, Max, (Germany), Paris Match, Telerama, Le Monde, Liberacion, Elle (France), Photo Italia (Italy), La Revista (Spain), Canadian Geographic (Canada), Playboy (Japan), The Telegraph, The Independent on Sunday, Granta (UK)
The Paris Review (USA).
PERFORMANCES
2012 Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Toronto.
2012 Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY.
2009- Kilcawley Center, McDonough Museum, Youngstown OH.
2009- St. Clair College. Performing Arts, Port Huron MI.
2009- Jeanne Gordon Theatre, Wallaceburg, ON.
2008 George Eastman House, Rochester, NY.
2008 Contact Photo Festival, Toronto, ON.
2008 Cheeky Monkay. Sarnia. On.
2007 University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.
2006 Camera, Toronto, ON.
2006 George Eastman House, Rochester.
2004 Camera, Toronto, ON.
2003 Emily Carr School Of Art and Design, Vancouver, BC.
2002 Harbourfront Center, Toronto, ON.
2002 Sarnia Library Theatre, Sarnia, ON.
2000 Hanover College of the Arts, Hanover, Germany.
2000 London Regional Art Gallery, London, ON.
1998 Maine Photographic Workshops, Portland, ME.
1998 National Union Of Journalists, Copenhagen, Denmark.
1998 University Of Windsor, Windsor, ON.
1998 Elvehjem Museum Of Art, Madison, Wisconsin.
1997 International Center Of Photography (ICP), NYC.
1997 Interfoto Conference, Moscow, Russia.
1997 Kiosko Alfonso, La Coruna, Spain.
1997 Nororderlicht Photo Fetival, Gronigen, The Netherlands.
1994 National Geographic Annual Conference, Washingon, DC.
DISCOGRAPHY & FILMS
2008 The Bike Ride (video installation)
2008 Video Montage (George Eastman House video installation)
2008 The World From My Front Porch (audio CD)
2008 Indecisive Moments (Video Diary Of A Still Photographer) (45 minute DVD)
2005 The Dark Years (audio 2 CD set)
2005 No Man’s Land (installation video)
2005 No Man’s Land (ambient audio CD)
2004 Mary’s Accordion (video)
2004 The Mennonites (audio CD)
1979 Feathers And Bones (LP)
FILM SCREENINGS AND FESTIVALS (for Indecisive Moments & Train of Thought)
2012 Arles, France.
2009 Perspektivet Museum, Tromso, Norway.
2009 Toronto Palestinian Film Festival
2009 Palestine Film Festival, London Regional Art Gallery, London ON.
2008 Independent Film Center, New York City.
2008 Copenhagen DOX, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2007 Camera, Toronto
2007 New York Independent Film and Video Festival, NYC Annual Palestinian Film Festival, London, ON.
2007 Paraty Photo Festival, Paraty Brazil.
Multi-media presentations:
2011 Contact Photo Festival, Toronto
2010 Collected Works Live with The Henrys, Drake Hotel, Toronto
2009 Whyte Art Gallery, Banff, Alberta.
2008 Camera Theatre, Toronto
2007 Arles Photo Festival, Arles, France
2007 Festival of the Photograph, Charlotesville, Virginia, USA.
2007 Rockerfeller Center, NYC
2007 Festival of the Photograph, Charlottesville, Virginia
2006 42nd Street Billboard, Times Square, NYC.
2006 Contact Photo Festival, Toronto
2005 42nd Street digital billboard, Port Authority, NYC, USA.
2005 Contact Photo Festival, slide show, Toronto.
2005 Rute, Andalucia and Marinaleda; Zornotza, Bitkaia and La lateruena Durangoko, Durango, Spain, slide show.
2005 Perpignan Photo Festival, Perpignan, France
2004 Perpignan Photo Festival, Perpignan, France