Annaud: A passion for epics

Annaud: "Russian cinema did influence me a lot when I was a movie student"

In this story: On filming in Berlin On passion And the final cut RELATED STORIES, SITES

BERLIN, Germany -- Jean Jacques Annaud has one of the most distinguished film careers in history -- having won both Cesar Awards and an Oscar -- in a film career that crosses from French to English.

In Berlin to present his latest work, the opening film Enemy at the Gates, Annaud spent time with the press to discuss filmmaking, Los Angeles, Berlin, and having the Final Cut.

Filmfestivals.com took some time out to discuss Annaud's latest projects and ideas.

Russian cinema did influence me a lot when I was a movie student -- I went to a school called IDHEC where my history of cinema teacher was George Sadoul, a man who had great passion for the epics of the early period.

My ideal for a long time was Eisenstein, but I also love the work by Pudovkine and I made sure before we started this movie to show a number of his films to my cast.

I picked the Ballad of a Soldier -- by Grigori Chukrai in 1960 -- and Quand Passent les Cigognes and, of course, the obvious film by Tarkovski, My Name is Ivan (1962).

I must say that Eisenstein greatly influenced this movie. For my many years he was my master -- to such a degree that the first work that I did at the IDHEC was under the supervision of Eisenstein's friend Leon Moussinac.

On filming in Berlin

Early on I realised that the only way to deal with this movie was to build a big set, and therefore the parameters were different.

I was looking for a large piece of ground not too far away from a major city where I could find a lot of crew members with experience, and a wild river where I could put all these explosions and not kill too many fish.

We ended up finding one place near the frontier of Poland, added to that there is a huge Russian community in Berlin where we could have a number of actors.

I had already shot The Name of the Rose with a German production and a German unit, and this fantastic previous experience made me think -- Why not a German crew again? They are very reliable.

On passion

My passion is to make intimate epics -- I like cinema where the image reaches both sides of the screen.

Annaud and actor Jude Law address a news conference at the Berlin Film Festival

I do not believe that you can make a film without concentrating on the hero and one of my favourite shots is when I have to do an extreme close-up on the eyes of my protagonist.

Because this is the most beautiful of all landscapes, it's a landscape that tells you stories, that gives you emotions. So I would never be interested in a movie that would only be the rendering of the Stalingrad battle.

We used traditional Russian songs that our members of the Russian crew suggested. Two of these songs were the most famous songs that were sung during the battle of Stalingrad.

And the final cut

I am in charge of every single image and sound in this movie. Now, I know a sort of general view that European filmmakers face those [financial] demons from Los Angeles.

It has never been my experience. Here, as usual, as I always do on all my movies -- when my film is completed and edited, I always wish to rectify a few elements.

It has always been my desire to modify a few elements in the film. I must admit that my experience with Hollywood has always been very bizarre in a way, because it has always been very friendly.

If there is anything to blame in the film, blame me, but not the people from Los Angeles.

'Traffic' dominates second day of Berlinale
February 8, 2001
Berlin film festival opens with war
February 7, 2001
Bob Hoskins opens the Berlinale
February 7, 2001

Film Festivals
Jean-Jacques Annaud
Berlin International Film Festival

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.