Director

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

All of us have been through relationships; there have been periods of time when we've been single. It's something that everyone experiences. It's a matter of making that observation and then start to ask questions about it: Why is it like that? And why do we feel that? And why are we organized this way? Isn't there any other way?

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

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.

I always try and decide what I'm interested in, and I just do that.

As an audience member myself, I love to be in a position where I'm trying to figure out what I am supposed to feel or if what I'm feeling is appropriate or not.

I haven't been a director-for-hire for any project. I work with people who appreciate that, understand that, and want to work that way.

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

I think it's been obvious from the beginning that my projects are not going to be something that people already have in mind. You can't be thinking about such things when you create something.

I'm just trying to progress with every film I make and become better.

I make films that are what they are. Some people like them, and some people don't.

No studio picks up the phone after seeing 'Dogtooth' and goes, like, 'We have the next superhero movie.' Though if one did, that would be an interesting studio to work with.

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

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

Of course you can't do anything completely original.

I'm interested in many different things. I guess I just want to evolve.

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 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 made three films in Greece, and they're made under very specific, very limited conditions.

By employing a certain sense of humor, you essentially get more serious about things and show conflict more effectively than if you were overly dramatic or only violent because that's a one-way approach that just forces audiences to watch something appalling.