Sensory Storytelling
If you want to work with Todd Haynes, you better be thinking about the vibes—literally. At the Lumière Film Festival in Lyon, the director revealed he hired costume designer Anna Terrazas for his upcoming Pedro Pascal-led noir drama, De Noche, for one specific reason: she told him the most important thing about a costume is how it smells. Talk about main character energy.
Haynes is all about the senses that don't make it onto the screen. "We see movies with our ears and our eyes," he explained, noting that the best films let the audience use their imagination to fill in the gaps of touch and scent.
The Music Behind the Magic
Haynes also got real about his process, which involves deep-diving into "image books" and obsessive musical research. For May December, he became obsessed with the score for The Go-Between, eventually making it the literal heartbeat of the film. He played it on set to choreograph shots and even had composer Marcelo Zarvos adapt it because, as he put it, "we couldn't let it go."
He also gave a massive shoutout to sound designer Leslie Shatz for his work on Safe. The film’s "strange, lurking, unconscious sounds" created a magnetic field of anxiety that truly ate.
The Future of Indie Film
Joined by his ride-or-die producer Christine Vachon, the two discussed the state of the industry. While Vachon is stoked that Gen Z is flocking to repertory theaters—her own daughter included—she’s lowkey worried that the industry isn't feeding the obsession. "We’re just not giving them enough movies to see," she noted.
As for the rest of the festival, Haynes dropped some heavy hints about a potential surprise screening this Wednesday that might include his rare, doll-starring cult classic Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story. If that actually happens, the plot thickens for fans who have been waiting years to see it again.
Why it matters
Todd Haynes remains one of the most intentional creators in the game. By focusing on the sensory, non-visual elements of storytelling, he’s pushing the boundaries of how we experience film. Plus, his and Vachon's candid look at the indie industry highlights a massive gap between the hunger of young audiences and the content actually hitting the big screen.
