France can compete with the Hollywood studios in terms of animation savoir-faire, but not in terms of box-office figures. France is a small country, and the Americans are the masters of the world - for cinema, it's true.

For me, the stereoscopic imagery was a new game to play with. Surprisingly enough, it's also a return to tradition. I'm back with paper-looking puppets moving about in several layers of theatrical backgrounds.

All of my films are based on personal experiences and beliefs. Many of my heroes are my spokespeople - and some are not!

No matter what the level of funding or success may be, there's always money missing, and you still want to have a gorgeous image, an endless cast and a flawless rendering.

The quality and success of Disney was actually bad for us animators because everyone on the planet thought that animation was only for kids and only in a certain domain. The big film festivals never thought much about animated films.

I won't tell you how many hours a day I work because you wouldn't believe it. But don't worry; I am in bed at 11 p.m., sleep well and get up early, without an alarm clock.

One gets used to success very quickly. The surprise was how deep and enduringly I was touching people, in such different places and throughout generations.