Jean-Jacques Annaud Quotations

British actors behave like Europeans; they are also extremely well trained.

The art of motion pictures is pictorial and language comes a distant second.

I had to choose between American and British actors, and it didn't take me more than a second to decide: Russians are Europeans and should be played by other Europeans.

When you create a movie, you create something in your image.

To do the writing, I have to have time to do research.

I make movies just as painters paint: I work where I can.

My way of remaining French was the financing scheme I used for Quest for Fire, with Fox funds, since it started as a 100% American production. The film was not in French and yet was French in style, reflecting my personality.

When a French book becomes an international hit it is because of the author and not because of the language. The same goes for movies.

The financing of my films has always been international.

Today's cinema is a global art form, it is impossible to make movies for a market the size of France, representing no more than 4% of the world's total.