Yorgos Lanthimos facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yorgos Lanthimos
Γιώργος Λάνθιμος
Lanthimos in October 2023
Born	Giorgos Lanthimos (1973-09-23) 23 September 1973 (age 51) Athens, Greece
Occupation	Filmmaker
Years active	1995–present
Spouse(s)	Ariane Labed ​ (m. 2013)​
Awards	Full list

Yorgos Lanthimos (born September 23, 1973) is a talented filmmaker from Greece. He has won many important awards for his movies. These include a BAFTA Award and a Golden Lion. He has also been nominated for five Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

Lanthimos started his career in experimental theater. He then directed his first movie, My Best Friend, in 2001. He became well-known for his psychological drama Dogtooth (2009). This film won a prize at the Cannes Film Festival. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Later, Lanthimos began making English-language films. These include the dark comedy The Lobster (2015). For this film, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He also directed the psychological thriller The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017).

He has worked with actress Emma Stone on several movies. These include the historical dark comedies The Favourite (2018) and Poor Things (2023). They also worked together on the film Kinds of Kindness (2024). Lanthimos was nominated for Best Director and Best Picture for The Favourite and Poor Things. He won the Golden Lion award for Poor Things.

About Yorgos Lanthimos

His Early Life and Education

Yorgos Lanthimos was born in Athens, Greece, on September 23, 1973. His mother, Eirini, owned a shop. His father, Antonis Lanthimos, was a basketball player. His father played for the Greek national basketball team. He also taught basketball at the Moraitis School. Yorgos was mostly raised by his mother.

After finishing school, he studied business. He also played basketball like his father. However, an injury ended his basketball career early. After that, he decided to study film and television directing. He went to the Hellenic Cinema and Television School Stavrakos in Athens.

Starting His Film Career

During the 1990s, Lanthimos directed videos for Greek dance and theater groups. Since 1995, he has directed TV commercials, short films, and music videos. He was also part of the team that planned the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

Lanthimos's first feature film was My Best Friend in 2001. He co-directed this comedy film. Critics noted its high energy and unique style.

His next film was Kinetta (2005). This was an experimental film that premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. The movie follows three people trying to film and photograph fake struggles in a hotel. Some critics found it challenging, while others praised its unique visual style.

Becoming a Well-Known Director

Lanthimos in September 2015

His third film, Dogtooth (2009), was a Greek psychological drama. It won a prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Critics praised Lanthimos's strong visuals and the actors' performances. In 2010, he also acted in and helped produce Attenberg.

His fourth film, Alps (2011), won an award for Best Screenplay at the 68th Venice International Film Festival. This film was known for making audiences question what is normal in human interactions.

Lanthimos's fifth film was The Lobster (2015). This was a dark comedy starring Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz. The script won an award before the film was even made. The movie was shown at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and won the Jury Prize. Critics noted its unique, detached style.

In 2017, Lanthimos directed The Killing of a Sacred Deer. This was a psychological thriller starring Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman. It premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Reviewers compared its intense style to other famous psychological films.

Working with Emma Stone

Since 2018 Lanthimos has collaborated with Emma Stone on numerous projects including Poor Things which earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress

In 2018, he directed The Favourite. This was a historical dark comedy starring Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz. The film tells a story of jealousy and power in 18th-century England. It won the Grand Jury Prize at the 75th Venice International Film Festival. The New York Times praised its beautiful visuals and unique camera work. The Favourite received ten nominations at the 91st Academy Awards. It won one Academy Award for Olivia Colman as Best Actress.

He then directed a short silent film called Bleat (2022). It starred Emma Stone. This film was shown with a live orchestra and chorus. It explores themes like loneliness and human connections.

In 2023, he directed and produced Poor Things. This dark comedy is based on a 1992 novel. It was his third time working with Emma Stone. The film also featured Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe. It premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival and won the Golden Lion. The Wall Street Journal called it "Sumptuous, dazzling and glorious." It received eleven nominations at the 96th Academy Awards, winning four, including Best Actress for Emma Stone.

For the film Kinds of Kindness (2024), Lanthimos worked again with many actors. These included Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, and Margaret Qualley. The film has three separate stories, with actors playing different characters in each. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2024. It was released in theaters on June 21, 2024.

Future Projects

Lanthimos has several new projects planned. He is working on an adaptation of the novel My Year of Rest and Relaxation. In January 2024, it was announced he would direct an English remake of the 2003 Korean film Save the Green Planet!. This new film is titled Bugonia. Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons are cast in it. It is expected to be released on October 24, 2025. He is also set to write and direct an adaptation of the thriller novel Fatale.

His Unique Style

Lanthimos is known for being part of a film movement called the "Greek Weird Wave." His films often have a unique look and feel.

His movies often feature unusual camera angles. The actors sometimes speak in a very direct or stiff way. Lanthimos's films often mix dark humor with strange or unusual situations. He creates unique worlds in his movies. His films often explore how power works and how it affects people.

Personal Life

Yorgos Lanthimos met French actress Ariane Labed while working on the film Attenberg in 2010. They started dating and got married in 2013. They lived in London for several years. Now, they mostly live in Athens, Greece.

Filmography

Feature films

Short films

Theatre

Music videos

Actors Yorgos Lanthimos Works With Often

Awards and Nominations

Academy Award-Winning Performances in Lanthimos's Films
Actors who have won or been nominated for Academy Awards for their roles in Yorgos Lanthimos's films:

See also

In Spanish: Yorgos Lánthimos para niños

• List of Greek Academy Award winners and nominees