Where Is “The Lost Daughter” Filming Location?

Where did they film “The Lost Daughter”?

The original novel was set in mainland Italy. But the producers decided to run in a different direction for the movie.

The original plan was to “Americanize” The Lost Daughter by filming the movie in New Jersey. But the COVID-19 pandemic sabotaged these plans, which led to a change of location to Greece. 

“Strangely, when Maggie adapted the film from the US to Greece, literally she only had to change a few words,” said production designer Inbal Weinberg. “Somehow the bones of it were already meant to be there.”

Spetses: The Lost Daughter filming location

The Lost Daughter’s filming location was Spetses, a small island off the coast of mainland Greece. 

Spetses is an affluent destination famous for its natural beauty and sophisticated style. The island has managed to maintain its charm into the 21st century with strict rules against high-rises. Local authorities permit no vehicles on the island apart from taxis.

This scenic charm has made it a sought-after vacation spot among both locals and international travelers. It’s also becoming something of a hot spot for film productions. 

The sequel to “Knives Out” was filmed on Spetses in 2021, and rumor has it that a TV adaptation of “The Magus” will film on the island soon. The 1968 film “The Magus” was also filmed on Spetses and starred Michael Caine, Candace Bergin, Anthony Quinn, and Anna Karina.

Filming for “The Lost Daughter” took place in 2020 during the pandemic. The production used bars and hotels that were otherwise empty, providing an ideal place to film without interruptions. Production took place at locations all across the island.

Here are a few of the most noteworthy filming spots. 

The beach

Zogeria Beach was one of the main filming locations on Spetses for “The Lost Daughter.”

Famous for its dazzling blue water, Zogeria Beach is in a quiet cove with plenty of greenery. It’s hands-down the most beautiful beach on the island. 

Zogeria has two separate beaches, a large one and a small one. According to Conde Nast Traveller, filming for “The Lost Daughter” took place on the smaller beach.

Other “The Lost Daughter” filming locations

Spetses Town is the main town on Spetses island. Filming took place in several districts, both throughout the town’s bustling center and its outskirts. 

The apartment where Leda stays on the island is located in Kounoupitsa, a port just to the north of the town’s center. The taverna where Leda dines with Will is in Dapia, a district of Spetses Town located near Kounoupitsa. 

Bikini, the bar where Leda belts out Living on a Prayer, is in The Old Harbour, which is in the south end of Spetses Town. 

Though we only see it briefly on camera, The Poseidonion Hotel served as a base for the production while filming on Spetses. The hotel was originally built in 1919 and was also one of the main filming locations for “Knives Out 2.: 

The Poseidonion Hotel also operates the open-air cinema where that tense confrontation took place. 

The American flashbacks

Where is “The Lost Daughter” filming location during the flashback scenes? Believe it or not, even the flashback scenes taking place in the United States were filmed on location in Spetses. 

Due to pandemic restrictions, the crew couldn’t come and go once they arrived on the island. So, for flashback scenes taking place in the United States, the production employed a little Hollywood magic. 

For the scene where a young Leda and her family vacationed in the mountains, cast members filmed in front of a green screen. They added the background in post-production. 

As for Leda’s east coast apartment, the crew created the apartment set in a vintage school on Spetses. 

“The first time the crew went into the apartment, they were mesmerized,” Weinberg said. “You’re on a Greek island. Then you open this door, and you’re in New York or in Boston. I was really proud of that.”

For authenticity, they had to ship everything in the apartment to the island – even the stove. According to Weinberg, the crew had to search for a kitchen stove for a month since none of the stoves available in Greece looked like American stoves. 

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