He made his directorial debut with Ballade de la Féconductrice, a film known for its graphic content.
In 1984, Boutonnat began a long-term creative collaboration with French singer Mylène Farmer, having composed the music for several of her albums.
This partnership extended to visual projects, with Boutonnat directing a series of music videos for Farmer.
Variety gave the film a positive review, describing it as "feisty family fare" with "pleasingly Dickensian" themes.
In December 2010, Farmer released her eighth album, Bleu Noir, marking the first time in her career that she did not collaborate with Boutonnat.