IT has been an app - now part of the Museum of Modern Art collection in New York, no less -- a series of classes, and the subject of a two-year world tour.

Now Bjork's weird and wonderful work Biophilia, which explores the links between music and nature, has become a concert movie directed by the equally idiosyncratic director of Berberian Sound Studio.

Peter Strickland, directing Bjork: Biophilia Live alongside Nick Fenton, editor of Submarine and The Selfish Giant, heard via a producer colleague that the Icelandic artist was looking for someone to make a concert movie.

"It was a case of applying, letting Bjork see the films," says Strickland, 41. "Once that had happened it's not so much about the films she likes, it's more about feeling comfortable with someone who is going to make something for her. The most important thing was making sure we had the same sensibility."

The film captures the last concert in the tour at Alexandra Palace in London in September 2013. Songs from the album are featured, together with specially designed instruments, including twin Tesla coils, and an Icelandic female choir. A lot happening on the stage, then, plus an audience present. Strickland and Fenton had 16 cameras at the venue.

"It was a case of covering as much as possible," says Strickland, whose two previous features, the 2009 crime drama Katalin Varga and 2012's horror Berberian Sound Studio, premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. "There are so many pragmatic concerns within that, in terms of not disrupting the audience and musicians. But at the same time you are aware that perhaps that same audience want to see the film in a cinema and you want to give them the best experience. It's a fine line."

After the initial meetings, Bjork largely left the pair to it. Fenton had made films with Icelandic bands before, as well as editing 2008's Arctic Monkeys at the Apollo. "When sitting down in the cutting room, thinking about what you are trying to achieve, I grappled with all these ideas about who the film is for," says Fenton, 47.

"The motivation is to make something that is stand-alone and beyond a piece of merchandise. I aspire not to make it my own but to feel some ownership. But that doesn't exclude her artistic integrity. I'm used to working as an interpreter to other people's ideas, so that's always very much in my intentions."

For Strickland, a concert movie was "not remotely on my radar". His feature films, including a new drama, The Duke of Burgundy, have all been written as well as directed by him.

"When I knew it was Bjork I was suddenly very interested. She's someone I admire a lot and have great respect for. I just thought 'why not?', I'm between films. It turned out I wasn't between films. I thought my next movie was a lot further along but it turned out not to be. The Duke of Burgundy came together a lot quicker than expected and Biophilia a lot slower than we expected."

Working with others turned out to be a welcome change. Writing and directing on one's own can be an intense experience, he says.

"I had no problem sitting back and sharing responsibility with two people, Bjork and Nick. It was quite refreshing. I wouldn't want to do it with something I'd written myself, but it's someone else's vision."

The Duke of Burgundy, starring Sidse Babett Knudsen, aka Birgitte Nyborg of Borgen fame, had its premiere at this year's London Film Festival alongside Biophilia Live. "I'm amazed she did it, it's such a risk for her," says Strickland of the drama about the relationship between two women. "It's not for everyone this film."

But then Strickland, as with Berberian Sound Studio, which starred Toby Jones as a British sound engineer entering the world of Giallo horror films with startling results, has made his name with films that stand apart from the pack. Katalin Varga was set in Romania with Romanian and Hungarian dialogue and went on to win the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. Berberian Sound Studio won four prizes at the British Independent Film Awards, including best director.

Perhaps it helps in fostering an independent outlook that Strickland lives in Hungary and commutes to the UK when necessary. Having spent the deposit for a flat on financing Katalin Varga, he says he cannot afford to live in London.

"I'd like to be back but not a chance. You save a bit of money but the prices go up every year. They interview these stars saying how great London is, why don't they interview crew members? Then they'll get a less distorted impression."

Strickland's next project is a play for BBC Radio Four to be aired next year. Fenton has been editing Life, the new Anton Corbijn drama about Dennis Stock's famous photo shoot with James Dean (Dane DeHaan plays the Rebel Without a Cause star). Fenton is also involved with what could turn out to be one of the music movie events of recent times - the film of Kate Bush's comeback show. Shot over two nights, he recalls the experience as "incredible". It was as good as they said, then?

"There were people weeping," he says. "A real feeling of euphoria and sincerity, and no cynicism. It was like everyone had left the cynical world outside."

Bjork: Biophilia Live, Glasgow Film Theatre, October 24-27; Filmhouse, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, November 11.