In different hands, this story could have felt merely fantastical. What gives it its emotional resonance is the way the director grounded it in authentic performances, locations, and details. This started with an extensive rehearsal process with the young talent, working with her to visualize the story beats rather than just saying the words. It continued in venturing to Latvia to find locations that felt otherworldly and yet undeniably real. Throughout prepro and shooting, the director added numerous details that gave the story more depth and fleshed out the vampire’s world: the vegan blood substitute, the side by side coffins, the vampire not appearing in the mirror, the heart-shaped squeaky toy, the vampire doll in the little girl’s bedroom, and many more. It continued into post production as well, including the decision to use a classical piece played by a live string quartet for the score.