The French have got to understand that a film is so expensive that it can no longer afford to be regional or even national in scope.

Biography
Annaud was born in Juvisy-sur-Orge Essonne. He was educated at the technical school in Vaugirard and in 1964 graduated from the prestigious film school Institut des Hautes Études Cinématographiques (IDHEC) in Paris. He supposedly felt personally intrigued by the project among other things because of a lifelong fascination with medieval churches and a great familiarity with Latin and Greek.

Jean-Jacques Annaud (born 1 October 1943) is a French film director film producer and screenwriter.