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How difficult was it to get a film of this nature made?

Kathryn Bigelow: It was logistically challenging but it really all came from [writer] Mark's [Boal]' time in Baghdad in 2004... having an opportunity to work with first-hand observational material about a subject that's very rich and abstract to most people. To unpack it a bit, to give it some specificity, was very exciting for me, and pulling all the elements together. It was pretty exciting.

Did you try to shoot in Iraq at all? Because you shot quite close to the border...

Kathryn Bigelow: Kathryn Bigelow: At one point we discussed it but I think somebody said something about snipers if we went across the border, so it was a decision that was not debated for long [smiles].

Once you had the script in place, did it formulate itself?

Kathryn Bigelow: It really came with constant dialogue with Mark, and wanting to keep it reportorial, presentational, and not impose an "aesthetic" on it. In other words, the real objective was, how do you put the audience in a position where the journalist was, where the eyes of the observer were? So you make it as experiential as possible, you put the audience basically into the boots of the soldier, give them a kind of "you are there, boots on the ground" look at a day in the life of a bomb tech in Baghdad 2004. So all the aesthetics came from the reporting, such as making sure the audience understands the geography of any given situation, that the ground troops contain an area which is approximately 300 metres, and then the EOD tech in the bomb suit takes what's called "the lonely walk" all by himself. The war has stopped for him. He has no idea what he's walking towards, and there's no margin for error - so again, it's an inherently dramatic piece that didn't require a lot of cinematic embellishment.

How surprised were you to learn that, with all the other technological advances, bomb disposal still means a guy with a pair of pliers and a steady hand?

Kathryn Bigelow: That's what was so surprising to me, to begin to unpack the asymmetrical warfare out there. You've got a remote garage opener and a Casio watch, and that can defeat such extraordinary military machines.

How did the actors cope with filming during a heatwave in Jordan, especially when they had to suit up?

Kathryn Bigelow: It was hot. That was one of the more punishing elements, and the bomb suit - that was not a creation of wardrobe or the art department. It was a real bomb suit, made of Kevlar and ceramic plates. It weighs around 100lb and the average temperature during the day when we were shooting was 110 degrees. That was probably the single most challenging aspect of the film, but Jeremy [Renner] is not only extremely talented but very formidable and resilient. He pulled it off.

How did you go about casting so many locals as extras and supporting characters?

Kathryn Bigelow: We had a wonderful casting director who was located in Jordan and knew that in Amman, at the time, there were probably about 750,000 Iraqi refugees. So we had access through her to these Iraqis, some of whom were actors. The suicide bomber at the end was a fairly well known actor in Baghdad, before the occupation, and when we were shooting he was a refugee in Amman. We put him in the movie and he gave us an incredibly emotive performance. I've actually stayed in touch with him - he's now living in New Mexico, and I'm hoping he can keep working. That was one of the true surprises. We knew the architecture and the palette of the desert, we'd find phenomenal locations, but a surprise like that was gratifying.

Why did you decide to cast several well-known names in cameo roles?

Kathryn Bigelow: Well, I do think that an audience approaches a particular actor with a degree of expectation, and if that actor's going to come in harm's way, you think it'll be dangerous, it might be tense, but they're going to survive. If you take that out of the equation, it definitely amplifies the tension.

Did Ralph Fiennes owe you one after Strange Days?

Kathryn Bigelow: We'd wanted to work together ever since, and I know this is not quite in the way that we anticipated, but he was excited not to have to wear a suit. And Guy [Pearce] was fine with it too. I think it was kind of freeing in a way, because the entire weight of the piece was not on their shoulders, and that's what they're used to.

The film doesn't seem to take sides or offer any political view of the occupation - was it more important to concentrate on the humanity?

Kathryn Bigelow: I think the humanity was definitely what was most important, to look at the individual and how he copes with an almost unimaginably risky situation, so it's Green Party politics! It's neither Republican nor Democrat, but for me personally at the end of the day, it's important to remind people that there are men and women who, right now, are taking that lonely walk. Regardless of what you feel about whether they should be there or not, it's a reminder that they are risking their lives. They didn't start this conflict.

Have you had any feedback from the military or from soldiers who've seen the film?

Kathryn Bigelow: We've had a fair amount and it's been very positive. I know I've had some soldiers come up to me saying they did two tours of duty in the same period of time in which the film takes place, which is 2004, and it was exactly like that, according to them. We've had four-star generals, who were actually commanding generals in Iraq at that time, and they've given a really favourable response. And the EOD community has been really favourable too. So that's been really gratifying.

It's been seven years since your last film. Is that a reflection of Hollywood now?

Kathryn Bigelow: I do tend to be very choosy about material. We started this in 2005, and we were shooting by 2007, so it was actually pretty fast. I'd finished all the press for K-19 in 2002, and was then developing and looking for material. I think as the industry gets more corporate, it also gets more risk-averse. Risk is actually a healthy place to be, dramatically speaking, because people will take more chances - and no-one's taking any chances.

Referring to one of your past movies: there are persistent rumours of Point Break getting a sequel? Is that true and will you be involved?

Kathryn Bigelow: I won't be involved. I heard it was going to happen, then I heard it wasn't going to happen... I'm just interested in war reporting now!

What's next for you?

Kathryn Bigelow: We're working on something that Mark is writing, so hopefully we'll kind of revisit this combination again. It takes place in South America, in a region called the Triple Frontier - where Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil meet. It's kind of a fairly lawless area in South America, and potentially a very rich environment for much drama.