A relatively low-budget film that relies mostly on title cards and music in lieu of spoken dialogue, 'The Artist', has proved that silence can be golden. The black and white film, which recreates the 1920s era when sound came to Hollywood, has already won seven Bafta awards and is a frontrunner at the Oscars for best film. Its focus is the relationship between the handsome, narcissistic George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), an established movie star, and Peppy Miller (Bêrênice Bejo), a pert actress on her way to stardom. In an exclusive interview, French director Michel Hazanivicius tells TOI-Crest how he created sensory magic on screen.

In a world where 3D and special effects are the order of the day, The Artist is devoid of any tricks. Did you expect people to love it as much as they have?

We made this film with passion. We never thought it was possible to go so far with the Oscar nominations. It's unexpected. It was a small film and it's unbelievable.