Gregg Araki revisits the adolescent wasteland that defined his career in the mid 90s with his newest feature White Bird in a Blizzard. On the outset – the film feels at piece with Araki’s oeuvre (The Doom Generation, Nowhere, Totally F***ed Up) in that all focus on a dissatisfied youth (here played by Shailene Woodley) coming to terms with their place in a seemingly meaningless world. But there’s something darker and a bit more melancholy at play with Araki’s latest. The anarchic spirit of those earlier films has been replaced with a forlorn world-weary outlook. Woodley as Kat Connors isn’t the same unruly protagonist of Araki’s early work. Instead Kat’s a character desperately trying to regain any semblance of normalcy after her mother disappears one fateful morning. It’s a character intent on NOT rebelling, living in a self-imposed ignorance to the truth that is plainly in front of her.

In the following interview with Gregg Araki and Shailene Woodley, the duo discuss the process of adapting Laura Kasischke’s novel to the big-screen, working together to create many of White Bird in a Blizzard’s emotionally raw scenes and the movie’s place within Araki’s filmography. For the full interview, hit the jump.

Shailene Woodley and Gregg Araki:

• Shailene Woodley on the balance between looking to the book versus the script for her character
• Gregg Araki on adapting Laura Kasischke’s novel to the big screen
• Araki on how the poetic nature of the novel influenced his shooting style
• Araki on how the film fits in with his "Teenage Apocalypse" trilogy
• Araki on creating a safe atmosphere for the actors
• Woodley on her preparation process (or lack thereof) for the film’s most emotionally charged moments