“Expats”' Lulu Wang and Boyfriend Barry Jenkins 'Offer Fresh Eyes' To Each Other During Creative Process (Exclusive)

"It's like we always want each other to see the best version of the thing, and so I'm always like, 'Let me read it.' And he's like, 'No, not yet,'" Wang says

When Lulu Wang needs a second opinion, she turns to her boyfriend Barry Jenkins for advice.

In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE, the Expats creator reveals that she and the Moonlight director use each other to bounce off ideas and share feedback — though they "don't always listen to each other."

"It's really nice. It's great to have someone who really understands the industry and can talk about process," Wang says, adding how the two have been able to "really understand" the different stages of each other's creative process.

However, in terms of their "day-to-day work," she says that the couple "try to keep fresh eyes for the other person" and try to use every resource before coming to each other for advice.

Related: How Nicole Kidman's 'Devastating' Experience of Seeing Her Father's Dead Body Informed Her Performance in Expats

"We're not showing every version of the script, we're not showing every cut of the film, and it's so we pick the right moment where we really feel like, 'Okay, I've done everything. I've used everybody, and now I'm really stuck or I feel like I don't know what else to do,'" she explains. "Then I have him come in or he has me come in."

Wang says that the duo's tendency to reserve their work for the right moment comes from "just wanting to really protect that resource, but also it comes out of really respecting each other's perspective and opinion."

"It's like we always want each other to see the best version of the thing, and so I'm always like, 'Let me read it.' And he's like, 'No, not yet. One more draft or one more cut. You can see it once all the music's done, once this is in,'" she continues, shrugging, "That's kind of how we are."

With projects like The Farewell (2019) and Touch (2015), Wang has received critical acclaim for not only her contributions to film but also for increasing AAPI visibility and stories.

Related: Expats' Sarayu Blue Admits 'It Does Get to Me' When People Butcher Her Name: 'I Am a Sensitive Soul' (Exclusive)

Her latest directorial effort, Expats, is based on author Janice Y. K. Lee's 2016 novel The Expatriates, takes place in Hong Kong in 2014 and "centers on three American women whose lives intersect after a sudden family tragedy," according to a plot synopsis.

Alongside Nicole Kidman, the series stars Ji-young Yoo, Sarayu Blue, Ruby Ruiz, Brian Tee and Jack Huston.

While speaking to PEOPLE in January, Blue opened up about working with the star-studded cast. Given the story being told, the actress revealed that filming certain scenes was "intense" but also "weird because it was still really fun to work on."

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"The truth is you can't really break the tension," she explained. "You kind of have to let it live and film that way. But when you're working with such professionals — which I would say is our cast all around: Brian Tee, Jack Huston, Ruby Ruiz, who's a star in the Philippines — who just came and did exquisite work on our show, when you're working with all these pros, everyone's OK."

Blue continued, "We know this is part of the gig, and we just kind of keep that sort of tension and let it be there because I think if you, at least for me, breaking the tension makes it harder to get it back for the next scene. So in a way, it was a very respectful set in that sense, truly."

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