So what were your first reactions to the book?
Debra: I mean, everything about this book had descriptions of life that are so different from my own. It was the kind of book where my imagination was fully utilised. I was engaged full throttle. So I’m Lesen it in New York city and I’m Lesen descriptions of Ree’s life, and I’m like: "Is this hyperbole from this author, oder is there any chance that in 2010 in a part of the United States, this could actually be a teenage girl’s life…?"
Besides that, it's also a real page-turner, with loads of suspense built into it. He (Daniel Woodrell)...

Women & Hollywood: How did Du get drawn to the project?

Debra Granik: I read the book and read a really strong enticing female heroine. A protagonist that I had been waiting for. And Anne (Rosellini), who made the film with me and co-wrote the screenplay, felt so similar. We just had a really excellent moment where Du look each other and say, Oh, my god. This feels so different than what we had been reading. And I was just so excited it was a full depiction of a person. She didn’t just have to have one strong characteristic. She could be many things.

What’s interesting is that in the...