One of the film's biggest challenges was training a pack of Mongolian grassland wolves, a task entrusted to Scottish animal trainer Andrew Simpson, who spent 18 months raising the wolves to follow commands, such as "sit" and "snarl".

For Annaud, who won Best Director in the Cesar Awards, France's highest film honor, for his 1988 adventure movie The Bear, directing animal scenes is a familiar and delightful process.

"The animals have to be happy on the set. If they are, they will have a good time in front of the camera; a better time than being bored in their cages. Animals are very much like human actors, and I compare them to babies. If you frighten a baby on set, he'll be unhappy and resist going back. If the baby is happy, going to the set is a positive adventure, and you get astonishing shots," he explains.

Interestingly, the director developed a unique daily ritual with the alpha male wolf, which he jokingly described as reinventing the "French kiss" — his interactions with the wolf were so intimate that he had to disinfect himself afterward. Each morning before filming, the wolf would approach, roll onto its back for a gentle rub, and engage in what Annaud calls a "licking session".

The wolves now reside in a remote area of Canada under trainer Simpson's care. Yet, Annaud admits he dare not visit them. "Whenever the wolves hear a truck, they get excited, thinking they're heading to a film set. I don't want to see my wolf friend. It would make him believe we're shooting again, and that would be a lie. Animals have great memories. I know I have a friend in the mountains somewhere near Calgary in Canada."

Moreover, he reveals that his experience directing The Lover (1992), an iconic film adapted from French novelist Marguerite Duras' autobiography of the same title, inspired him to make animal-themed films.

"Profound love, sincere love, is something we share with every species. There is a dignity in those moments where we lose everything but desire and pleasure," he reflects.

For Chinese fans, Annaud's film Notre-Dame on Fire, inspired by the 2019 cathedral blaze, offered another chance to appreciate the French director's distinctive style. The film won Best Foreign Language Film at the 36th Golden Rooster Awards in 2023.

Recalling his motivation to direct the movie, Annaud says he long felt a personal bond with the world-famous monument. "When I was a kid, my mother would take me to central Paris on her day off, and our visits always began at Notre-Dame Cathedral. If I'd been a good boy during the week, I had permission to light the candle," he says.

Relieved to see the cathedral still standing after the devastating fire, Annaud decided to make the film, drawing on his close ties with those involved in its restoration. The project also brought new friendships with Chinese firefighters during his promotional tour for the film's Beijing premiere.

He met members of the fire brigade at the Forbidden City, where they discussed how France and China protect their historic buildings from fire. Noting that both Paris and Beijing have narrow streets and iconic architecture, Annaud says firefighters in both countries can learn from each other, as they face similar challenges and rely on specialized equipment to safeguard heritage sites.

"My respect for firefighters was in a way I didn't know before. But then, when I started meeting them, I realized that they all have something in common: generosity. They devote their lives to stopping catastrophes, and it's a different mentality," the director shares.

With this year marking the 130th anniversary of world cinema, Annaud notes that "cinema was invented in France", referring to the Lumiere brothers' first public screening of moving pictures in Paris in 1895.

"There is a lot of respect for Chinese movies in France and they are highly regarded," he says.

"I feel there's a shared desire for more coproductions, and I hope to help make that happen. My experience has been so positive that I can tell my friends not to fear the language or superficial cultural differences, because deep inside, we are the same," concludes the director, with his eyes glimmering softly behind gold-rimmed glasses.

Contact the writer at xufan@chinadaily.com.cn