The Visionary Director Yorgos Lanthimos Opens Up About Burnout After “Bugonia”
Yorgos Lanthimos, the visionary director of cult high-gloss films like “The Favourite” and “Poor Things,” is slowing the roll of his creative output. After the release of his latest film, “Bugonia,” Lanthimos grabbed the headlines and the hearts of many when he revealed he would be taking a well-deserved break from filmmaking. That the decision comes from an artiste famous for his unconventional films and intense grind tempo makes it a poignant and unique admission.
The Road to Exhaustion: Three Films in Three Years
Lanthimos has given us an extraordinary hat-trick of films in the last three years: “Poor Things,” “Kinds of Kindness,” and, breaking our collective hearts as always, “Bugonia.” Each is a brazen piece of work, bearing his indelible visual and narrative style.
But turning out art at that speed has its price. When in a recent interview he was asked how he manages to “keep doing this at the pace that you’re doing it,” Lanthimos gave a frank answer, with a touch of humor and vulnerability:
Well, I just can’t continue to do that. That’s what we’re certain of right now… It’s a big mistake. I think I need a break. I’ve said in between the other three that I could die now but this time I mean it. 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 just, it runs out. We are there.
Fatigue is not just physical—it’s creative. Lanthimos talks about a spiral, in which once a script is finished he feels compelled to make the film straight away, wanting to seize an inspiration or opportunity. “You know, I just feel like it’s a shame to just leave it there and wait.” So I kind of made myself, I mean, I had to make myself almost, to try and find the time to do it right after I finished something.” But while it has yielded cinematic wonders, it has also drained the artist.
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“Bugonia”: Theme & Plot
As Yahoo stated, Bugonia, Lanthimos’ new film, is yet another expression of his inventiveness—a darkly hilarious, biting thriller about two conspiracy-fixated cousins who abduct a CEO on the suspicion that she is an extraterrestrial agent bent on wiping out the planet.
As with all of his films, he uses several of his usual collaborators which includes Emma Stone, as well as a number of fresh faces.New excitement for “Bugonia” has been building since Lanthimos was announced as director, with audiences keen to see his newest work, possibly their final one for a while.
What’s Next?
Lanthimos does leave the door open, he has projects in the works, including an adaptation of “My Year of Rest and Relaxation”, there will be no rushing.
As he departs, the wish is that this pause will enable him to come back with the energy and creativity that have made him a movie legend.
Conclusion
Lanthimos’ open contemplation of creative burnout, expressed with humor and humility, might serve to shift the registers of what it means to be a contemporary artist. For audiences, this means the prospect of more work from a director at the height of his creative powers — and a timely reminder that the bravest thing an artist can sometimes do is just, unapologetically, take a break.
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