Ellen Page faces the apocalypse in survival drama Into the Forest

"I put them through the wringer, actually," PatriciaRozemasaid of Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood, the two young stars of her new post-apocalypticcoming-of-age dramaInto the Forest.

"Evan broke all the capillaries in her eyes when she was doing that one terrible, terrible scene. Ellen learned how to butcher animals," the Canadian filmmaker recounted to CBC.

Into the Foresttellsthestory oftwo teen sisters survivingalonein their remote forest home in a fictional, near-future land calledCascadia. In reality, the film wasshot in British Columbia.

Ellen Page, Evan Rachel Wood 'put through the wringer' for Patricia Rozema's Into The Forest

8 years ago

Duration 1:42

The stars and director behind the apocalyptic new drama talk about the Canadian film's gruelling shoot.

Into the Forest came about after Page (Juno, X-Men: Days of Future Past)broughtJean Hegland's1996 novel of the same name to Rozema's attentionand suggestedthe director write an adaptation of the book for film.

She alsosuggestedRozemacastboth herselfand Wood (The Ides of March, True Blood)asthe two lead characters.

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After theyboth agreed to the project,the two actressesspent time together so they'd be as comfortable as realsisters when it came time to shoot the film.

Despite the shoot being emotionally and physically demanding,the pair were fun on set,Rozemarecalled.

"They had a really strong chemistry and they're both highly intelligent," she said.

"As a director, you just call 'Action!' and magic is appearing."

Into the Forest opens in Canadian theatres Friday.