Six-time Academy Award nominee and deeply respected Greek filmmaker and artist Yorgos Lanthimos has implied a pivot in his creative career following ten feature film releases and six shorts in a 31-year filmmaking period. Lanthimos has also been creatively involved in 12 music videos, including Radiohead’s Identikit.
Nonetheless, the filmmaker took time to promote his photography exhibition during a sit-down with the Financial Times, and hinted at a possible stepping down from directing to instead focus on his passion for photography.
“You can just walk around with a camera, it is a solitary thing, and kind of meditative in a way,” the director shared. “You don’t have to have a concept, you don’t have to have an end goal. You don’t have to find financing.”
“At this point, I am saying, ‘Will I make more films? I don’t know, we will see.’ I need to find again the joy in making films. I want to let it come naturally, instead of pushing myself,” Lanthimos added.
2018 saw the film artist take a break from filmmaking, having just released the Olivia Colman-led The Favourite, a satirical, absurdist period piece also starring his muse, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz. He then returned with an adaptation of Poor Things, the black-comedy anthology Kinds of Kindness and the sci-fi thriller Bugonia consecutively.
His other feature credits include his 2001 comedy debut, My Best Friend, the absurdist Dogtooth, black-comedy The Lobster, and psychological horror The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Known for his success in the absurdist style, Lanthimos has previously discussed his retirement from film, as he feels he can no longer maintain the pace which allowed him to contribute so much of his artistry and thematic weight.
“Well, I can’t keep doing that anymore. That’s what I’m certain of right now. It’s a big mistake. I think I need a break. I’ve said that before in between the other three, but I’m serious now,” the filmmaker previously told Collider.“You can hold me to it. I’m going to take a little break […] you find the will and the strength, but at some point, it runs out. We’re at that point.”
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