Salles believes the key to working with both the child actresses was building trust. “There was a very protective atmosphere on the set that I think gave both Ariel and Perla, who are each very talented, the confidence to fully develop their potential,” he says.
Gade, who had to face ghosts, inner demons and even a drowning scene in her performance, impressed the adult cast with her total commitment to the role. Says Jennifer Connelly: “Ariel is just the sweetest, loveliest little girl but she also worked very, very hard on this movie. She was always excited to do another scene, no matter how tough it was, and that was something that really inspired the rest of us. She and I had such a great time together on the set and—especially because I have a son about the same age—I felt like we developed a very natural mother-daughter relationship.”
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