This Sweater Is For You!: Celebrating the Creative Process in Film and Art with the Animator and Illustrator of 'The Hockey Sweater'

A rare glimpse into an artist’s mind, his toolbox, and the world of film animation

The Sweater is one of the most beloved animated films of all time. Based on Roch Carrier’s short story, also known as “The Hockey Sweater,” the film recounts the most horrifying moment of the author’s childhood. Sheldon Cohen adapted the story into animation and created a film that is as much about childhood emotions and the desire to fit in, as it is about hockey, the clash of cultures, and a harkening to bygone times.

Now 30 years later, Sheldon delves into his notebooks, photographs, and memories to recreate the process he undertook to make The Sweater. He takes the reader on a journey back to Ste.-Justine, showing all of the places and people that inspired him. He also delves into his other films, book illustrations, and paintings over his 40-year career, and along the way he gives us rich insights into the creative process.

Sheldon Cohen is an award-winning animator and film director, illustrator, and painter. Specializing in the adaptation of short stories into film, his work includes The Sweater (1980), Pies (1983), Snow Cat (1998), and I Want a Dog (2003). He has garnered a long list of international prizes as a film director, including the British Academy Award for best animated film (1981), and he received the Governor General’s Award for illustration in 1991. He lives in Montreal, Quebec. Roch Carrier was formerly Canada’s National Librarian and is the beloved author of many Canadian classics for both adults and children. He has been awarded the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Officer of the Order of Canada, and several honorary doctorates.