After starring in the romance comedy A Perfect Story, adapted from Elísabet Benavent’s novels, Anna Castillo shifts into a gripping survival tale. Nowhere, the new Spanish Netflix film, arrives on the platform Friday, September 29. The drama follows Mia, a pregnant woman fleeing a totalitarian regime with her husband, only to end up alone in a sea-flung container where she must stay afloat and await the birth of her child.
Across the film, Mia carries a heavy burden as tension grips the audience with every frame. The question remains: did the shoots push the cast to the edge?
It wasn’t sadness alone but the sheer exhaustion of inhabiting intense emotion for long stretches, all while maintaining a palpable connection with the viewer.
The production demanded physical stamina as well. Were there any setbacks?
Protection on set and a belly weighing eight kilos helped, but the on-screen container’s plunge into the sea brought real jolts. Smoke thickened the air, the screams irritated the throat, and a bout of tonsillitis and fever forced a quick home antibiotic course. Another day at sea brought heatstroke, and blood pressure checks suggested postponement until the next shoot.
Mia appears in every scene, often alone. Did reading the script trigger dizziness or a sense of vertigo?
Yes, there was a clear challenge: carrying the film’s weight and responsibility while chasing a story that also sits inside a commercial body of work. The emotional charge was intense, and the solitude of many sequences intensified the task. Yet the project offered a rare opportunity to push beyond familiar roles and test personal limits.
I want to act bad but it’s like they don’t see me
Mia’s plan to break free from the secret sea and escape oppression is a fictional map, though the storyline echoes daily headlines.
The interview acknowledged the harsh reality of people dying at sea, yet the film frames Mia’s escape as a dystopian lens on resilience. Prior work, including Mediterranean and Open Arms commentary, anchors the film in social themes, while Nowhere uses the regime as a backdrop to illuminate Mia’s determined arc.
Is Mia the best source of strength, even when the courage feels buried?
Yes. Mia’s path is one of guilt and resolve. With a baby tethered to her, giving up isn’t an option. The surge of inner power comes from an instinct to protect her child, drawing energy from places she didn’t know existed.
When the director called cut, was stepping away from such an emotional figure easy?
Leaving the character is a relief. The emotional fatigue lingers briefly after filming ends, a kind of aftershock that fades as life returns to normal. It’s tougher to carry the thread of the character once the camera stops rolling, a quiet struggle that lingers for a time.
Was Mia crafted specifically for this performer?
The creative team didn’t tailor the part to one actor. A successful screen test with the director and producer confirmed the fit, but the character wasn’t written with a single person in mind.
How does casting work in this industry?
Casting remains a nerve-wracking process, with vulnerability and exposure playing a big role. While several auditions were not a match, the experience also opens doors to new opportunities and collaborations that can shape an actor’s trajectory.
From drama to crime action, the filmmaker’s body of work ranges from Easy to A Perfect Story. What remains on the horizon?
The desire is to explore a biographical drama tied to music or an intense love story that takes a stark lens to relationships beyond a conventional romance. The aim is to offer bold, morally nuanced roles that challenge the core persona rather than repeat it.