Renowned director, writer, and producer Yorgos Lanthimos, known for his Academy Award-nominated works, is once again teaming up with co-writer Efthimis Filippou for an exciting new film project. Titled KINDS OF KINDNESS, this film is a departure from the duo’s previous collaborations, such as Dog Tooth, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and The Lobster, which earned them both an Academy Award nomination for best original screenplay.
KINDS OF KINDNESS is a triptych fable, a complex narrative structure that tells three distinct but interconnected stories. The first story follows a man who, feeling devoid of choice, attempts to seize control of his own life. The second narrative tracks a policeman who is disturbed by the mysterious transformation of his wife, who had previously been presumed missing-at-sea. The final tale focuses on a woman on a determined quest to find a unique individual gifted with a special ability and destined to become a significant spiritual leader.
The idea for KINDS OF KINDNESS evolved over several years, taking on various narrative forms before finally settling into the anthology format. The decision to explore a triptych structure was born out of a desire to experiment with storytelling techniques that differed from their past work. However, Lanthimos and Filippou were careful to maintain a thematic thread, ensuring that each narrative felt like a part of a greater whole, as if they all belonged under the same umbrella.
Lanthimos and Filippou share a unique creative bond, with a similar sensibility when it comes to writing. They have a collaborative process where they build upon each other’s ideas. If one of them comes up with a story, the other can augment it by adding elements to make it more intriguing or complex. This effective partnership is the reason they continue to work together, creating stories that examine human behavior, clothes, reactions, and strive to depict something almost real and believable.
During the writing process of KINDS OF KINDNESS, Academy Award winner Emma Stone, a frequent collaborator of Lanthimos, was offered the script. Stone was immediately captivated by the project, expressing her admiration for how the script developed into a triptych. She found the weaving together of the stories to be unclear in a compelling way that capitalizes on the preceding narratives, making the project an exciting prospect.
Despite the allure of the project, KINDS OF KINDNESS did not come without challenges. Lanthimos candidly admitted that time constraints posed significant hurdles. However, he was eager to explore this complexity, believing that the anthology format offers a different kind of engagement for the audience. Unlike a single-story film where audiences have room to contemplate and apply their logic, an anthology allows viewers to carry their thoughts from the first story into the next, leading to a more intricate and engaging viewing experience.
The production of KINDS OF KINDNESS began during the lengthy post-production process of Lanthimos’ previous film, Poor Things, which won four Academy awards. Seeing the potential in KINDS OF KINDNESS, producers Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe of Element Pictures, who have produced all of Lanthimos’ English language films, decided to move forward with this project, viewing it as a more straightforward endeavor compared to their period films.
The film was seen as a simpler undertaking because it relies on location-based settings, natural lighting, and contemporary costumes. This approach felt less complex, allowing the team to allocate time from the post-production process of Poor Things to bring KINDS OF KINDNESS to life quickly.
The title, KINDS OF KINDNESS, was thoughtfully selected after the previous titles ‘RMF’ and ‘AND’ were deemed impractical. Lanthimos sought a polysemic word that could carry multiple meanings, mirroring the complexity of the film where the same actors play different characters in each story. This intriguing title is intended to provoke thought and offer multiple viewpoints, much like the film itself.
The themes of KINDS OF KINDNESS are power, control, free will, and the dynamics of human relationships. These themes are recurring in Lanthimos’ work, often exploring the rules people live by, either self-imposed or dictated by society or some higher authority. These themes are elevated to absurd but darkly humorous heights in KINDS OF KINDNESS, offering audiences another thought-provoking journey through Lanthimos’ unique cinematic lens. Check out KINDS OF KINDNESS when it hits theaters on June 21st, 2024.
