Gilliam tells us he was at first reluctant to get involved with the film, feeling the themes behind it were not so different from his own and so proving unchallenging. And so with his vision realised, this latest project could be seen as something of a boiling pot fit to burst upon its release worldwide, with Gilliam gleefully riding the wave of publicity.

When asked what attracted him to shooting the film on location in Prague, Gilliam refutes the belief his intentions may have been to get as far away from Hollywood as possible, describing Prague as “a true fairytale city … stunningly beautiful,” and so we might guess, the perfect location for a story heavily involved with the theme of fairytales. However, within the sweeping beauty of the city is a self-contained world of Gilliam's imagination. This proved a major challenge in the making of the film, he tells us, as issues of employing CGI effects while still maintaining a degree of realism came into play.

Gilliam is quick to praise the festival of which he is a part.

“To me, film festivals have become the ultimate distribution system, because you see all these incredible films that you will never ever see in the cinema.” He says film audiences are being “dumbed down” as a result of highly conservative, passionless distributors dominating the industry. He adds, “I don't know where we'd be without film festivals. Culturally, we are dying.”

Don Quixote is, inevitably, mentioned. So, what has happened to this legendarily plagued film, which seems to have sunk without trace?

“Don Quixote is tangled up in a legal quagmire between a German insurance company and a French production company,” Gilliam explains.

Could this film ever see the light of day, perhaps issued as a DVD? “I'm hesitant to say this, but there is some movement …”

It could be argued The Brothers Grimm marks a shift in Gilliam's style. For a director renowned for his originality and slightly alternative film making, and whose previous works have gained fevered cult status, his latest film appears decidedly far more commercial, geared toward pulling in as wide an audience as possible. When asked for his reaction to the critics who argue this point, Gilliam answers, “If I actually paid attention to the critics I would have stopped long ago.” He adds, “I can't imagine being a film reviewer. They're either better people than me, or they ought to get a life … I'm not sure which.”

Pushed on the issue of commercial success, he tells us, “To me, commercial success is a film making one more dollar than it cost. There really is no correlation between a good film and how much money it makes.”

So what advice for those who wish to follow in his footsteps? Does Gilliam believe there are benefits to be had for young filmmakers by formally studying film at professional schools? After a short pause, he says, “It keeps them off the streets …” and is met by a ripple of laughter from his audience. For Gilliam, budding directors can learn a great deal from the wealth of information contained on most DVD packages, comparing documentaries and interviews to being like a film school. He adds, finally, “I don't think filmmaking's that complicated, really.”