Fernand Deligny

Fernand Deligny (1913–1996) was a French educator, writer, and filmmaker, and a leading figure in the field of specialized education. He primarily worked with troubled children, juvenile delinquents, and autistic youths, and was strongly opposed to the alienating treatment often imposed on struggling adolescents. In 1967, he established a care network in the Cévennes, France, which radically differed from contemporary psychiatric institutions. He developed an approach centered on the “lignes d’erre” – the errant lines traced by the children’s movements – and a notion of language deeply connected to image and cinema, which remained a central preoccupation throughout his life. A prolific writer and thinker, he meticulously documented his experiences with these children, attending closely to even the smallest occurrences. Deligny directed the documentary Le moindre geste (1971) and published several books, including Graine de crapule (1945).