James Gray talks about learning to take pleasure in the filmmaking process and why premiering his new film The Lost City of Z at the 54th New York Film Festival feels like a homecoming.

NYFF Soft Focus is created by filmmakers Jeff Reichert and Farihah Zaman. The interviews were shot using a 1986 Jupiter-9 85mm, a vintage Russian lens known for its “swirly bokeh,” which gives the videos their distinctive look. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more.