American actor Emma Stone and Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos have teamed up once again for a new short, silent film shot on a Greek island in black and white. Tackling loss, necrophilia and rugged Greek landscapes, Bleat
is the pair’s first collaboration since their 2019 brush with
the Oscars for The Favourite.
The new 30-minute short film, also starring French actor Damien Bonnard, premiers in Athens on Friday and was shot on the hilltops of the Greek island of Tinos. Goats feature prominently, though despite the film’s title, no bleating is actually heard.
“There were a lot of goats… I find them fascinating animals,” Lanthimos told AFP.
“The landscape itself and the atmosphere there was the first inspiration,” he said. The sombre black-and-white short that mostly takes place in a traditional Greek house is also silent, which Stone said she truly appreciated.
“It was a dream,” she told a news conference on Thursday. “If I could only work silently, that would be a delight.” Lanthimos also said he found the experience liberating. “I generally think that restrictions can help in creating something. When you have too many means at your disposal, you can easily get lost,” he said.
Most of the people appearing in the movie are Tinos locals with no acting experience. “We went round the island, met people and cast them… non-professional actors can be really incredible,” Lanthimos said.
Organisers did not reveal the film’s budget but noted that Stone took no salary to participate because of her friendship with
the director. She starred for Lanthimos in the 18th-century black comedy The Favourite, which earned them respectively best supporting actress and best director nominations at the 2019 Academy Awards. “I feel very safe with him, and challenged by him,” Stone said. “What is the point continuing to do this, no offence but, kind of stupid job of acting if you’re not gonna keep pushing and growing and being challenged?” Bleat was screened at the Greek National Opera from May 6 to 8 with music played
by a live orchestra. AFP
