Out of the woods
Director describes work on ‘Leave No Trace’ as ‘gallop of a production’
Debra Granik is willing to take a chance.
She’s also great at execution of plans.
The Oscar-nominated director is back with her latest film, “Leave No Trace,” which is playing in theaters now, including Century 14 Downtown and High Ridge in Albuquerque.
The film follows a teenage girl named Tom, played by newcomer Thomasin Harcourt-McKenzie and her veteran father, Will, played by Ben Foster.
The two have lived undetected for years in Forest Park, a vast woods on the edge of Portland, Ore.
A chance encounter leads to their discovery and removal from the park and into the charge of a social services agency. They try to adapt to their new surroundings, until a sudden decision sets them on a perilous journey into the wilderness seeking complete independence and forcing them to confront their conflicting desire to be part of a community and fierce need to live apart.
Granik directed the film and adapted the screenplay with Anne Rosellini from Peter Rock’s novel “My Abandonment,” based on a true story.
It took her four years to complete, and filming took place in Oregon.
“The first couple of years are never a straight shot,” she says. “Once we actually got to start off, it was a gallop of a production.”
Granik, who was nominated for an Oscar for 2010’s “Winter Bone,” says the script went through dozens of drafts.
“The novel followed one path, and it’s an active imagination,” she says. “Very little was known about this father and daughter. Peter had to imagine a story. We also had to imagine a different story for the film. We saw the different possibilities and we changed the drafts as those came up.”
A big part of the fun for Granik was being able to cast the film.
For Tom, she was looking for the right person on both coasts and then found Harcourt-McKenzie.
“She had read the book and the screenplay,” she says. “Thomasin had a lot of ideas about the production. She seemed like she had imagined the role in her own way. That was special.”
As far as casting Foster goes, Granik has been a fan of his work as an actor and of his advocacy for veterans.
“It was thrilling that he could get dirty with the project,” she says. “Ben was able to use the tools, get wet and really dig his teeth into the role. It’s a positive step for him.”
SEND ME YOUR TIPS: If you know of a movie filming in the state, or are curious about one, email film@ ABQjournal.com. Follow me on Twitter @agomezART.