Yorgos Lanthimos: ‘Creative freedom is key’

Tranquility, certainty, satisfaction – these were the vibes exuded by Yorgos Lanthimos on Sunday morning as he convened with a pack of journalists at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in central Athens to delve into his latest film.

‘My perspective is just one perspective; others may perceive much more, and that’s intriguing’

Set to hit Greek theaters on the first day of the new year, “Poor Things” features American actress Emma Stone as Bella Baxter, a young woman resurrected by an eccentric surgeon, embarking on a journey to rediscover the world. The press conference, lasting about half an hour, offered the Greek filmmaker the opportunity to discuss serious choices, both pertaining to the specific film and his overall career.

One pivotal choice is not to go about interpreting his own films. “My perspective is just one perspective; others may perceive much more, and that’s intriguing. Some aspects are overt, while others are understood or projected by fewer people. Additionally, there have been cases where what someone thought was highly unlikely exist in the film; but this is just their own projection, which says more about the individual than the film itself.”

In a first for his career, Lanthimos opted for an original score in “Poor Things.” “I always attempted it. But I meticulously search for music during editing: I discover pieces and edit with them. The tonal balance was very specific, almost impossible for a composer to come and do something else that works the same way. Upon hearing Jerskin Fendrix’s first album, I instinctively believed his musical style could complement my filmmaking, despite lacking a direct correlation. We decided that he would begin to write music for the film even before the shooting had started, ensuring I had pre-prepared music for editing, as I did previously.”

The success of the film also hinges on the performances of the protagonists. “Our approach to working with actors is very practical and physical. We engage in exercises – both theatrical and physical – fostering a sense of camaraderie among the actors, particularly if they are unfamiliar with each other. Rehearsals avoid specifying the desired performance for the shoot. We incorporate the text during these exercises, becoming second nature to the actors, albeit not in a strictly rational manner. Consequently, a shared memory develops in relation to the text and the physicality of each participant.” A third, non-negotiable choice that Lanthimos elaborated on is the “final cut” – the right to exclusive control over the final editing of the film, free from external interventions. “The final cut and creative freedom are key in all this for me. I doubt I would make movies if told, ‘You can make it, but you won’t have the final cut; we’ll discuss it later.’ I have declined many opportunities to create films without a guarantee of the final cut. I would rather just wait or do something else. Perhaps explore some other profession.”