One of the foremost film dramatists of our time, James Gray has thus far logged six features: his new film The Lost City of Z, The Yards, Little Odessa, and three collaborations with actor Joaquin Phoenix: Two Lovers, We Own the Night, and The Immigrant. On his latest visit to San Francisco for the San Francisco International Film Festival, Gray discussed his adaptation of David Grann's bestseller The Lost City of Z; influences including Kurosawa; recurrent themes; naturalism, including that of Robert Pattinson; and how Joaquin Phoenix once pulled a sexual surprise that proved his total commitment to character.