... um, that you mastered your craft in some way.

Yeah, the te- the technical aspect of it, I think that's, that was very helpful for us to decide that we didn't need that much in order to go and make a film if we wanted.

Like, if we gathered, like, these 10 people that just wanted to make a film, you know, we didn't need lights, we didn't need makeup, we didn't need anything.

You know, we would borrow stuff, and we would, um, sh- shoot in locations that they gave us for free, and, you know, we could just make a film like that instead of not making anything at all and just being there and going like, "Oh, it would be so nice to make a film one day." You know, kind of thing.

So that's how we made the f- three first films in Greece, and then yeah, after Dogtooth's, uh, relative success, I decided to move over here because at some point after making three films this way, I just felt that I, if I was to continue making films, I, I, I needed to be able to make some choices instead of, like, just borrowing stuff and filming in the house that was free instead of the-

Right.

It's just about finding the nuances and the, the diversity of what that can be and, you know, try and capture that and then be able to play around with that during the editing so that you can, you know, sculpt their performances and, uh...

But yeah, I, I just love...

Why do you like to bring people back into your projects? What do you like about working with these collaborators?

Well, I think, I think it's a special thing, you know, finding someone that you, uh, understand, that you can get along and see certain things in a similar way and, uh, you build trust.

And then on top of that, then when you work together again, you can, uh, go further and explore different directions because, you know, there's, uh, as I said, trust there, and there's no fear in, you know, uh, making a fool of yourself because you know everybody has your back.

And, um, when that includes both the crew and the actors, that becomes even a more safe environment because also the actors feel more comfortable with the crew that they know, and everybody, you know, um, is there for the other, and they're all, um, having the same goal.

Uh, so I think that's, you know, very important to be in tune while, you know, making something so complicated, um, that is a film.

What characteristics or mannerisms did you and Emma choose to tell us, the audience, to show us that she's in control?

Well, I think that there's, um...

You know, the introduction of the film kind of tries to, um, establish those, you know, characters.

What characteristics or mannerisms did you and Emma choose to tell us, the audience, to show us that she's in control?

Well, I think that there's, um ...

You know, the introduction of the film kind of tries to, um, establish those, you know, characters, and we, we treat them initially almost as archetypes.

Like it's, uh, they're very recognizable, both Teddy and Dawn in their world, and then Michelle, uh, in her world.

So, just from her house and her daily routine, (laughs) how she wakes up and what she, what are the first things she does, and, um, to seeing her at work and the way she speaks and the, the assurance on her gait and her speech and, you know, just the environment in itself and the way she dresses.

And, uh, I think, you know, just reinforce the, the initial idea that you have about her, and Teddy and Dawn, uh, very similarly.

But I think the, the point of the film and the way it's structured is to afterwards kind of challenge those ideas that you have about these people and start, uh, revealing layers, uh, and layers, uh, o- of these characters' personalities and, and traits and beliefs and, uh, actions.

How is she talking to him, Yorgos? Is it patronizing? Is it maternal when you're- when she's saying, "Let's have a dialogue?"