Tessa Thompson says working with so many women on 'Little Woods' felt like a "breath of fresh air".

Tessa Thompson

Tessa Thompson

The 34-year-old actress stars alongside Lily James in the Nia DaCosta-directed drama, and Tessa has revealed she relished the experience of making the movie, which tells the story of two adopted sisters who work outside the law.

She explained: "All of the producers are women, many of the department heads are women ...

"I think that feels like a breath of fresh air, because that's not always the case. Particularly in a movie that's about sisterhood in a familial way, it's really also cool just to be working inside of something that feels like a sisterhood, on set."

Tessa also found making the movie to be an emotional experience, because it reminded her of her real-life relationship with her own siblings.

Speaking to Vulture, Tessa shared: "I have sisters, and I'm really close to them. It's complicated - there's always stuff there. This movie broke my heart.

"Every time I would think about these two sisters, and think about a reality in which they don't figure out how to come together, just killed me.

"Because I just think of my sisters, and what those relationships mean to me."

Lily, 29, also enjoyed the experienced of being directed by a woman.

She said: "For me to be directed by a woman, and for us all to be of a similar age and really be talking about it and discovering what it is and sharing something that felt so honest.

"I felt so assured that there would be a shared experience, that we would get to something that felt really truthful and real."