Love and the nature of relationships are pushed into uncharted territories in Director Spike Jonze’s new feature Her.

Set in the very near future, Jonze’s sci-fi tinged romantic comedy tells the story of Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), a lonely writer who develops an unlikely relationship with Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), a sentient operating system designed to meet his every need.

Jonze spoke about the making of the film in a conversation with Director James Gray (We Own the Night) after the DGA screening in Los Angeles on December 14.

Jonze’s other works include the feature films Where the Wild Things Are, Adaptation and the DGA and Academy Award-nominated Being John Malkovich. He has been a member of the DGA since 1998.