Born in Leipzig to a Burkinabé father and German mother, Sawadogo began studying animation techniques at Concordia University in Montreal, graduating in 1989 with a BA in communication studies and a minor in film animation.
[1][2] After graduating, she began to animate and make films professionally, first working on several animations for the American children's show Sesame Street from 1992-1993.
[3] In 1993, her first major work, La femme mariée à trios hommes (The woman with three husbands), was released and received several awards.
[3] She is currently an associate professor of cinema at Concordia University and continues to produce animations, posters, and book illustrations.
[3][4] (The Woman with Three Husbands) (The bus stop) (The Cora Player) (The Tree of Spirits)