Christopher Nolan, director: We need to take risks

“The biggest risk in motion pictures is to not take a risk. You have to be putting it out there and offering people something new, and that's what will get them out of their houses.”

Katie Razzall speaks to Oscar-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan.

The 55-year-old, whose directing credits include Inception, Interstellar and Oppenheimer, is widely considered one of the 21st century’s most influential filmmakers.

Born in London in 1970, his career began in the mid-1990s, when he would proofread scripts, operate cameras and direct for corporate information films. Barely a decade later, he was chosen to direct Christian Bale as Batman in The Dark Knight trilogy, setting a new standard for how superheroes were portrayed on screen.

A string of blockbusters followed, making him one of the highest-grossing directors of all time, and was later knighted in 2024 for his services to film.

He’s now releasing his latest project, The Odyssey - an ambitious adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek story, starring a Hollywood A-List cast, including Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Zendaya.

Thank you to the Culture team for their help in making this programme. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with fellow Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro, tennis champion Martina Navratilova, and legendary musician Sir Paul McCartney. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Katie Razzall Producers: Ben Cooper, Roxanne Panthaki, Alex Stanger and Steven Wright Editor: Damon Rose

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(Image: Christopher Nolan. Credit: Reuters)