Cœurs de sable

Loustal’s sun-drenched, painterly watercolors and Philippe Paringaux’s taut, noir-tinged storytelling combine in Cœurs de sable, a single, self-contained graphic novel from Casterman. Set in a Moroccan port town, the story follows a French expatriate photographer caught between a dangerous love affair and a world of corruption and drift. Published in 1985, it stands as a landmark of European bande dessinée, capturing the era’s fascination with post-colonial malaise and cinematic visual storytelling. Its influence endures as a masterclass in mood and place from two of France’s most distinctive talents.