Quotes from Yorgos Lanthimos

The first time I was paid was with 'The Lobster,' because with the Greek films, we just had to pay ourselves - work for free while making commercials in order to survive.

I wouldn't know what to say about something that worked in a perfect way, so I guess, in everything, I try to find what doesn't work and expose it and then see how it relates to people and their stories and their character.

I think human relationships - the whole thing is cruel. It's very difficult.

Of course I know what works for me and what kind of tone I want my films to have.

I always expect people to be torn when they see one of my films and divided in some way.

I used to be quite negative about going back to Greece and making something, but there is a certain kind of freedom that I've experienced while I was making films in Greece that is hard to replicate elsewhere.

I am not interested in representing reality. Actually, I am interested in representing reality, but that doesn't mean a naturalistic approach, which I think is kind of impossible.

People influence each other, so one screening will be filled with laughs while another is dead silent.

I did have a lot of years watching and appreciating dance and theater and all of those kind of things, and it has informed the way that I work with actors and the way I approach things.

For me, casting is very instinctive, and if I don't feel good about it, I just can't go ahead and make the film.

Having a couple of films that were successful internationally has made the film community aware of the films coming out of Greece.

Because we're brought into the world or educated in a certain way, we're trained to accept the world in a certain way.

In film, I like transformation. That goes for the language, for the image, for the performance.

Don't think too hard. Just be present, and things will reveal themselves.

I think you can be much truer to real emotions and reality by creating something that on the surface seems artificial but, by then putting everything together in the end, is much more impactful than trying to use realism in every individual element of the film.

I either enjoy things or not. And things either make me think, or they don't. Or they mess with me, and I feel awkward.

I never think in metaphors or fully make those kind of associations myself. I just lay down a complex situation and hope things arise from that.

I find it very interesting to keep people uncertain about what is what and figure it out as they go.

All the talented and smart actors, they get it: as soon as it comes out of their mouth, they know if it's right or wrong. If the writing has a particular voice, they get it, and they can hit it.

It's weird to try and identify a nationality for a film.

Uncertainty helps keep actors on edge.

I think there's all these unknown things you can tap into when you just leave things open, and nothing is forbidden. Then you allow yourself to mold that thing that has been created by freedom and spontaneity and flexibility. That's why I avoid limiting performances of actors and characters.

The actors bring their own stuff and thoughts, and most of the time, I don't want to know what they are. It allows me to have more distance and observe what they're doing without having the knowledge of what they have in their minds, so I can see clearly how that feels to me.

I think you can tell a lot about people if you observe them as they're observing.