as a tool to explore our shadows.

This comes through in his signature style,

which is marked by daunting premises and surrealist elements.

'I wanted to do science fiction since I'm ten years old,

you know it's like a genre,

that I feel has a lot of power and alot of

tools to explore our reality in a very

dynamic way.'

Villeneuve has made many short films in his career,

all of which are fantastic,

but it was Next Floor, his 2008 short that launched him

to international attention when it was nominated for

the Short Film Palm d’Or at Cannes Film Festival.

Villeneuve tells his stories through an objective eye,

allowing the audience to have their own interpretation and

thoughts about the events that are unfolding.

Such as in his 2009 feature Polytechnique

about the real life shooting that took place in Montreal.

'The more I've been in contact with people from

other cultures, the more I felt that

the world was complex

and there was no black and white.'

As a storyteller, Villeneuve explores ideas that scare him.

His films push his audience to the limit

– often asking questions but never giving answers

to the politically charged and violent undertones,

which run through the narrative.

His latest film Arrival has been nominated for eight Oscars,

including Best Director for Villeneuve.

'Denis Villeneuve is and extraordinary filmmaker

one of the most collaborative and kind filmmakers

that I've ever worked with.'

'At the end of the day, what is it

for a human being to approach an object that is

coming from space? What is our relationship

with the unknown, of mystery?

And I wanted to bring that fear and that excitement to the screen.'