We had the amazing opportunity to interview director and actress Elanor Miller of GODS AMONG US. Check out the interview below.
Hi, Elanor! Thank you for granting the interview. Congrats on your new film GODS AMONG US. You’re co-directing and starring in the mini-feature! Tell us what inspired the award-winning script.
Hi Occhi, thanks for having me.
I love mythology and always have. I felt it was quite an interesting concept to have all the ancient gods from multiple pantheons stuck together, and I really enjoyed writing what that would look like. As a lover of shows such as NBC’s Hannibal, to make it bloody, dark, gritty and rich seemed the best way to go. It’s a modern take on the old myths. The gods have been on earth for a long time when the movie starts, and some are better adjusted than others. Really, it’s the grudge match they have all been waiting for, though it doesn’t turn out the way any of them had hoped it would.
I feel that in the Independent Film Industry it makes sense to write things you would want to be in. I’m very proud of my character, Lady Sif. She’s noble and powerful, yet conflicted, and just as with her counterparts not as innocent as she first appears. It’s an exciting role that I can’t wait to tackle fully.
With directing, I’m just very lucky to have Daniel. We make an excellent team and bounce off each other really well. Shooting the promo was a wonderful experience and a lot of that was down to our partnership.
Did you have to undergo specific training for your role?
I’m a hobbyist martial artist, so the film gave me more of an excuse to train harder as opposed to learning something completely new.
According to IMDb description, “the ancient gods have fallen to earth and after a long exile discover there may be a way home. What is Lady Sif’s mission?
Basically, Lady Sif just wants to survive, with the least amount of blood on her hands as possible. Trapped together the gods are given an ultimatum, join Hades or die and Sif, like the others, declines. She, however, wants to work with the others and escape Hades clutches whereas the others use this opportunity to air old grievances. In the end, she has to get her hands dirty. It seems unlikely she will get her happy ending.
Is it a challenge to direct and star in the film?
It’s a lot of work, but I love it. The main difference is I’m not only responsible for myself. I have a lot more to focus on, and so needed more time to prepare. But I have loved producing and casting as well as directing and acting.
You have an amazing cast. How did you match the talent to their roles?
Our audition process was long but definitely worth it. Some people I had in mind from the beginning, others were wonderful surprises. A fair few of the cast had worked with each other before, so some were highly recommended as well as giving amazing auditions. I gave age breakdowns for the roles but nothing more, I wanted to see some completely different versions of the gods as we know them.
Tell us about a typical day on the set.
We are still filming currently and won’t wrap until the summer, so we have no ‘Typical Day’ as of yet.
The promo was definitely not your typical day on set. Filming in an underwater tank was challenging but exhilarating. The footage, which we will be sharing soon, looks amazing.
Daniel and I are fast workers so it was all systems go the moment we got on set. We got everyone in costume and makeup as soon as they arrived then started shooting. Time was very short at the venue so we had to keep to a tight shot list. Keeping people warm was the biggest challenge. The tank was heated but when not in the tank, even though the room was heated, people were still wearing wet clothes.
What is going to surprise people about the film?
It’s very grim. This is not a fairytale world. It’s a harsh reality and it is bloody.
Without giving anything away, what’s your favorite line of dialogue from the film and why?
“You are a fallen king wearing a rusted crown, still pretending it’s made of gold.”
When looking at the current production, what is resonating with you the most and why?
I think it’s the character’s lack of innocence. Everybody is guilty of something. Nobody is fully good or completely evil.
Everyone in the cast has shown phenomenal characterization.
In your opinion, what scene in the film is going to blow people away and why?
There is a group scene early on where you see all the gods come together. I think it will be a joy to witness how they interact. They can be cruel and kind, violent and subdued and with so many conflicting interests and powerful individuals you know it will be explosive.
There is also the final scene which I love, it’s unexpected and that’s all I can really say about it just now!
What did you enjoy most about your character and role?
Sorry to repeat myself, but it’s her lack of innocence again. Lady Sif likes to think she’s noble but she’s nowhere near as white as she’s painted and that’s always wonderful to play.
Do you have anything else you would like to share about the film?
Having just filmed the promo we cannot wait to begin principal photography properly. We still have some roles to cast and crew positions to fill so we will be making announcements soon.
Do you have anything else you would like to share about your career?
I am currently loving the transition from actress to actress/writer. I’ve been lucky enough to have gained some festival awards for GODS AMONG US and my other projects. If anyone is interested in looking at the list it can be found at www.imdb.me/elanormiller.
Thank you for chatting with us about your career. I hope we can catch up in the future for another interview.
Thank you so much for having me! To keep up to date with GODS AMONG US like www.facebook.com/godsamongusfilm
And to keep up with me you can follow @elanormiller on Instagram!
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