“ I’ve spent the last 45 years of my life abroad .” It is with the perspective of his international experiences that Jean-Jacques Annaud spoke about the French Touch in cinema. The director expressed his passion for France: “ I made all my films with a French heart .” He spoke in particular of his admiration for French heritage, which has inspired many of his films, such as * The Name of the Rose* or his latest feature film, *Notre-Dame Burns *, produced by Jérôme Seydoux, the president of the Pathé group.

“In 1907 France produced 87% of world cinema” 

His primary ambition as a director was to avoid limiting himself to films intended solely for French audiences. " It was unbearable that only Anglo-Saxon films had access to international theaters ," the director explains. He is indignant to see that French cinema still struggles to gain a foothold on the international stage. " In 1907, France produced 87% of the world's films; the whole world watched French films. Today, while the Americans sell a thousand films, the French sell only one ."

In a world where American cinema dominates the market, the first key to success abroad is leveraging our French identity. " For The Name of the Rose , it was the French Touch, the fact that I'm French, that convinced Umberto Eco, the author of the original book and a great admirer of France, " explains Jean-Jacques Annaud. He recounts receiving a warm welcome in the United States thanks to his nationality: " The Americans are willing to pay us very well ." However, certain dictates of American cinema must be respected, such as perfect command of English. " If the actors don't speak English, they can't do any promotion, and subtitled films end up in small theaters ," the director points out.