Feature films that have a large cast, expensive scenery or massive special effects give actors plenty of places to hide. There was none of that for Laia Costa when filming "Maine" from writer/director Matthew Brown ("In the Treetops"). The majority of the production features only Costa and her co-star, Thomas Mann, making their way through the hills and valleys of the Appalachian Trail. The closest thing that comes to a special effect is a campfire.
The Spanish actor was happy "Maine" had such a simple approach.
"Because it was just us and the director in the middle of nowhere, we had no distractions at all. What we had was 24 hours a day together," Costa says. "When the actors and director has 24 hours together, they just keep working.
"That was good because we got involved in the story in a very, very, very deep way."
The story looks at a married Spanish woman, Bluebird (Costa), who plans to hike the 2,200-mile trail that extends from Georgia to Maine. She sets out on the journey by herself in hopes of finding answers to the big questions in her life. The plan for solitude fails as she is joined by Lake (Mann), a young American hiker. They slowly form an emotional and romantic connection, but Bluebird is haunted by the need to find her own answers.
Filming "Maine" gave Costa plenty of time to think because the movie was shot in isolated spots along the actual Appalachian Trail. Getting to the set often meant taking a car or truck part of the way and walking miles to the location with cast and crew carrying everything they would need for the day. The return trips were often done in darkness.
Before filming started, Brown asked Costa if she liked to hike. She played a lot of basketball when she was young, but because she's been acting steadily in projects in the United States, Italy, Spain, Russia, the United Kingdom and Germany for the past seven years, she had not had a lot of opportunities to hike. She went camping prior to filming and after two days, Costa's feet hurt so badly she wasn't certain she would be able to put on her shoes.
Then she had to deal with the mental aspects of playing Bluebird.
"When I got the script, I talked to Matthew and I told him I do not understand her. I don't get her," Costa says. "Why is she doing what she is doing? Why is she saying what she's saying? What is wrong with her?
"I couldn't relate to her at all. That was before we started and I had a year of emails and conversations with Matthew. We were able to work together to get me into the place he wanted me to be with Bluebird. I also think this role is very personal for him, so it was interesting to get to spend time with him because as an actor you have to learn to think a little bit like your director."
Filming in isolated locations with a limited cast and crew is not the typical way to make a movie. But, there's been very little in regards to Costa's career that would be described as typical. Before heading out into the woods for "Maine," Costa starred in the feature film "Victoria," which was almost entirely improvised by the actors and shot in one single take. Then there was the multigenerational "Life Itself" from "This Is Us" creator Dan Fogelman, where she played Isabel.
Her other film credits include "Newness," "Piercing" and "Duck Butter." She's currently filming the international co-produced Italian-English language television series "Devils," co-starring with Patrick Dempsey, based on the novel by Guido Maria Brera.
None of Costa's past projects pushed her as much as working on "Maine." But, given the choice again, she would agree to be part of the production.
"Some projects give you a nice hotel and you have a lot of days off. But, at the end of the day you might not think that it was worth it," Costa says. "This one, in 'Maine,' was so special. It was hard and we were exhausted and sweating and bleeding. But, not one moment did I think it was not worth it.
"When I saw the movie I was very emotional because it wasn't manufactured, but it was happening and the camera happened to be there."
