22 Aug Interview with Daphne from Minore cast Q&A
MINORE CAST Q & A
MEET ALIKI: Interview with Daphne Alexander
Q: Tell us a little about Aliki, your character in the film.
A: As soon as I read the script of Minore I felt an affinity with Aliki. She is an outsider, a seeker, with great curiosity and love of life. I felt that she took the job of a waitress at the ouzo bar because she was fleeing from her real life. Because she wanted to figure things out for herself. But she is masking all this with mischief and humour, kindness and light. And when she meets William (played by Davide Tucci) something sparks inside. He reminds her of herself. He’s a lonely traveller, just like her.
Q: Aliki has lived in the UK and in Greece, and like many expats, the experience of living in dual cultures is a uniquely odd one. You also split your time between both countries. What is that like for you, and how did it influence how you approach the role?
A: I grew up in Cyprus but went to London to study acting at LAMDA and ended up living and working there for many years. Recently though, I’ve started working out of Greece more and more, in Greek film, TV and theatre but also in international productions shooting there. So, my life involves a lot of travel, which can be exhausting. But I’m the sort of person who enjoys this nomadic existence, and it keeps everything fresh. I never have time to get bored, and I love jumping from one language to the next, one country to the next. But, like Aliki (and that was one of the many things that drew me to her), it does make me feel like an outsider, that I belong everywhere and nowhere, in the best possible sense!
Q: How was the shoot for you?
A: The hardest part was working through the night. I am not a night owl and do love my sleep! But after I got used to all that, the most fun was one night when we all – actors, extras, the director, the crew – had to walk into the freezing sea, fully clothed, up to our necks in water shooting this scene. Really, this was such a special set to be a part of. I think we all felt so privileged to be there, however hard some scenes were to shoot. We shot Minore in the summer of 2021, and we had all just spent months in lockdown, not knowing what was coming next. Minore felt like a gift after a very stressful time. Wonderfully eccentric, adventurous, and 100% group effort.
Q: Aliki is drawn to the water in the movie – in fact, you spend a lot of the film either soaking wet or slimed. What was that like?
A: My first day on set I’m summoned to a field. The director is standing next to a hose. “Just stand there, in front of the hose,” they say, cheerfully. And then it all starts. A baptism of slime!
I had to imagine, this was the horrifying sea creature attacking me. And I’m not even a fan of cold water. Needless to say, I’d never had a first day on set like that before. I knew instantly that this shoot was going to be a big adventure and different from all the others.
Q: You have a lot of screen time with your character’s love interest/co-star William, played by Davide Tucci. What was it like working with Davide?
A: Davide was a trooper! He loved being covered in slime! He was a magnificent scene partner, talented, considerate, and always smiling no matter what extraordinary things we had to get up to!
Q: You and Davide have a scene where you shot a long dialogue in one take while eating a takeaway souvlaki – how many times did you have to eat that souvlaki?
A: That scene was filmed in the middle of the night, as was much of the movie, and I remember Davide was intent on finishing an entire souvlaki each time we filmed a take.. I was not that ambitious, and thank God for that because we ended up going for nine takes!! Don’t get me wrong, the souvlaki was delicious, but nine?
Q: What drew you to the story, the role, the script?
A: I knew Konstantinos and Elizabeth from their time in London and always wanted to work with them, they have such positive energy and are such a creative and talented pair; so I was very excited to receive their script.
And then, when I read it, oh my gosh! The script was so out there, so unusual, and deliciously crazy, and funny, and mystical, and I had never read anything like it! There was no way I was not going to muck in! And as I mentioned above, the role of Aliki spoke to me, I understood what made her tick, her restlessness, her curiosity, her thirst for adventure, and I loved how she changed through the course of the story. I’m glad I did because it was an unforgettable experience.
Q: How was working with director Konstantinos Koutsoliotas?
A: Konstantinos, apart from being an extremely talented and visionary filmmaker, is gentle, kind, and an excellent leader. Working with him and his partner, the equally talented filmmaker Elizabeth Schuch (who took on the role of co-writer and producer on Minore) was a dream. They are a force to be reckoned with, multi-talented and fierce and I am so excited to see what comes next for them.
Q: You have an amazing scream – are you up for becoming a legendary ‘scream queen’? Or what kind of roles would you love to tackle next?
A: I am definitely up for that and would be very honoured to become a “scream queen”! I’m actually a massive fan of horror films and would be delighted to land some more work in the genre. Fear is the most ancient, the most primal of emotions…
You can meet DAPHNE ALEXANDER, who’ll be in attendance at the London Premiere of MINORE.
ABOUT THE FILM
MINORE is a GREEK/UK production and will be having its EU Premiere
at the legendary FRIGHT FEST UK on Aug 26th and 28th, 2023.
For more information:
Based in London, Greece, and Toronto, MELANCHOLY STAR is an artistically-minded production company creating and directing unique features, and providing VFX, art/graphics for film, TV & media.
www.melancholystar.com [email protected] +447532136112
MINORE : MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF