“I would fail if I had to work with stars. And I also can't afford to work that way. I can't afford to have special circumstances for rarified individuals. So, I work with actors who have given me a sign that they're willing to work in these more humble circumstances, in real-life locations.”

American filmmaker

Debra Granik is an American filmmaker best known for writing and directing films about lives on the margins. She is associated with Down to the Bone, Winter's Bone, and Leave No Trace, and her work has brought her wider attention over time. Down to the Bone, released in 2004, starred Vera Farmiga. Winter's Bone, released in 2010, featured Jennifer Lawrence in her breakout role, and Granik was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Leave No Trace, released in 2018, is based on Peter Rock's book My Abandonment.