Quote · The Louis Theroux Podcast
S7 EP8: Yorgos Lanthimos discusses working with Emma Stone, suffering for his art, and directing a Bourne movie
Where this was said
Being Provocative: Criticism, Acceptance, and Making Peace With Haters
At 15:55 · chapter starts 14:30
Lanthimos recalls that in the early years he bristled at being labelled provocative, finding the characterisation reductive. Over time, he came to understand that provocation is the mechanism by which art dislodges people from their habitual viewpoints — it is not a personality trait but a tool. He also addresses the inevitable divisiveness of his work: films that are different, relatively original, and culture-specific cannot possibly appeal to everyone across the globe, and wanting universal approval would be a sign that something had gone wrong. Lanthimos says he made peace with having detractors early on, and that this acceptance freed him considerably.
