Interview conducted and written by Nik Mohan

Director and writer of ‘My Fathers’ Daughter’ Egil Pedersen sat down with Top Film to discuss his TIFF 2024 release and directorial debut. Accompanying Pedersen is lead actress and breakout star Sarah Olaussen Eira, in her first feature film.

READ OUR REVIEW: ‘My Fathers' Daughter’ Is A Delightful Debut Feature From Egil Pedersen

Top Film: How does it feel to be here at TIFF?

(Egil) Pederson: For me it’s huge. It’s the first time in what I call, one of the big five festivals. I’ve dreamt about coming to one of these festivals with my shorts — it never happened. But now with my first feature film, I have. I have to say, I got quite emotional when I got to the hotel room last night. I was like… I am TIFF! So for me it’s a big deal and I hope it will be a huge start for the film.

(Sarah Olaussen) Eira: For me it’s huge as well. I would never have thought that my first audition would end up with me in Toronto [TIFF]. So it’s really fun and I’m so excited to be here.

What was it about the film that made you want to write it? What about the story resonated with you?

Pederson: I would say that I’ve been dealing with — for several short film — indentity issues. It’s a Sámi film, we [him and Eira] are both Sámi, indigenous people of the Nordic countries. Dealing with my own indigenous identity has been difficult and I’ve been working and treating this issue in short films. I started to work with humor around identity issues and I thought okay, I’d like to do the same thing in a feature film. So it’s kind of based from my own identity issues and the humorous look at it. Also, based on how I have been a Sámi person up north among the Sámis in the capital of Oslo. So there are so many interesting and funny anecdotes, which made me want to make this film and use those ideas to tell the story.

Elvira (character) goes through this identity crisis and everyone around is changing in some way, while she feels left behind a little bit. What was so intriguing about this project that made you come on-board?

Eira: It was fascinating that this was a story about identity and that the character Elvira has to experience so many struggles and has to try to solve them. She’s wondering who her biological father is, and her mother is lesbian, and she goes through teenage drama in school and with friends. So for me, it was really interesting to try and live out this story.

How was it working with each other in both of your debut feature?

Pederson: I remember the casting day — it was December 2022. And it was in this youth club and there was so many young talents coming in. I realized I could only use three-minutes on each person coming in. Then Sarah came in, she had the script in her hands, and kind of just read from the pages. I realized this is good and I had to use more than three-minutes. I think we spent fifteen-twenty minutes. Then when she walked out the door I thought, she might be it. The most important way for me to direct is to choose the right person. That’s 90% of the directors job. [Other 10%] It’s kind of like trying to calm down, relax, and make small adjustments. The rest is in yourself and what you bring to the script.

The setting of the story feels isolated in this little village in the north of Norway. How much does that setting play into the story of Elvira?

Pederson: The location is very important because it’s actually the village where my mother’s from and I’m very connected to that place. Of course it’s expensive to make a film this far in a remote area but it was very important to the story. This was not just another village, it’s a village where nature is harsher and I think that gives something to the identity crisis.

Eira: It’s a Sámi village with harsh nature and I think it really gives to the story of Elvira trying to figure out who she is. [It’s] a story about trying to figure out who you are or living in the dream of being someone you’re not, and having to accept who you are.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays out like a fantasy in Elvira’s head. She’s shielding something from herself with this projection. What do you think she’s rejecting — her Sámi heritage maybe?

Pederson: I mean, she knows she’s a Sámi girl but she believes she’s half Danish — she thinks that’s what makes her different in the village. She feels like she doesn’t belong there — in a way better than the rest of the people in the village and that she has to go away. Which is what many people growing up in a small village relate to. This dream of I don’t belong here, I need to go out to the world, to the big city.

I want to touch on the cinematography by Anna Myking. How did you capture the tone and feel of the movie? It felt like, at times, we were the third person in a conversation.

Pederson: We tried to avoid close-ups when we can, and if we can’t, try to the put most of the characters in the frame all the time. The characters never escape the frame. Even though there’s a scene with three people, we have all three people in one frame and do the reverse and still have the three… I think it helps the humor and the cringe moments between the characters — they don’t want to be together, it’s awkward. It helps the scene, the connection between the characters and the environment.

What is a question you think that audiences will have about themselves after watching this movie?

Pederson: We live in a time where many minorities have been suppressed and experience racism, or other negative reactions. But we live in a time where minorities are more embraced, and being a Sámi is seen as kind of a cool thing. It’s kind of like, if you are a minority person and see the film, you will resonate with how the film captures the complexities of being a minority. It’s not like we only get negative reactions, people also think Oh, so cool, you’re a Sámi! So cool, you’re a queer! Which can also be an awkward position to get in to. People want to be over positive than to treat people like a regular person. A majority of the audience might think Oh, shit, maybe I’m embarrassed, maybe I’m too positive, making too much point that people are minorities. Just treat them as a person (minorities).

Eira: At least someone can see themselves through Elvira’s struggles and recognize themselves through the characters.

Before Elvira goes on this journey, she rejects who she is. In that mindset in the early stages of the movie, if she could choose her dream location to live, where do you think she would be?

Eira: For Elvira, at the start of the movie, I think it would be living in Denmark living out her Danish dreams. But throughout the movie she learns more about herself and accepts more of who she is. So maybe that would change.

Three words to describe the film?

Pederson: Contemporary. Funny, Indigenous.

Throughout the process of making the film, did you accept feedback from your peers and colleagues, or was this very much your own vision from the start?

Pederson: I started to write this is 2015 and I met the person who would be my script consultant. A very rough version of the story was a supernatural drama-thriller, and I was not satisfied with it. He was like hey, this is not supernatural, this is a funny story. I took his feedback and he helped me pull out what was inside me. And in the very early version also, the mother was the lead character. There was quite a lot of people to help me tweak and change the story. But it still comes from me.

Is there anything you learned personally or professionally from being part of this project?

Pederson: Film is expensive to make. You think you can write something that won’t cost as much, but it still costs. I would probably write the script a bit shorter next time because you want to finance it and it’s so hard to make it happen.

Eira: I agree with Egil. I think we pulled a lot of good things out of a low budget movie. I’m really excited to see it myself for the first time.

And how do you feel about approaching that first screening at TIFF? Is it a mixture of nerves and excitement?

Eira: I’m really excited and a little nervous. But I think it’s going to be a good experience.

Pederson: I’m not nervous. That’s because I like the film so much. I know Sarah is great, the feedback we’ve been getting say Sarah’s great. People think it’s funny, charming. So I think the people that it’s meant for will love it and I’m confident on that. I guess I will be nervous ten minutes before the screening but I’m quite relaxed.

If you could get your hands on any I.P that you could make your own, what would it be?

Pederson: That’s a good one. It would be great to do something in Hollywood with a big budget. Hollywood loves remakes. To remake ‘Birds’ (Hitchcock) because I love ‘Birds.’ To make it with technology today… but try not to do it with too much CGI. You know, what could you do with ‘Birds’ today?

If someone was to you play in a true life story in a biopic about yourself, who would you want to play you?

Pederson: Ryan Gosling I was thinking about but he’s more charming. Yeah… Ryan Gosling.

Eira: I don’t know, maybe someone who’s a similar age as me right now and looks a little bit like me. Ariana Greenblatt maybe.

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TIFF REVIEW: ‘My Fathers' Daughter’ Is A Delightful Debut Feature From Egil Pedersen

‘My Fathers’ Daughter’ premiered on Monday, September 9th at TIFF.

Synopsis: Raised by her single mother in the coastal Sámi village of Unjárga in the far north of Norway, Elvira has never known her father. Misled to believe she was conceived in Copenhagen, the teenager holds on to a childhood fantasy that her father is the Danish acting legend Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, the star of the hit series Game of Thrones. When her mother, Beate (Ingá Elisá Påve Idivuoma), announces that her new girlfriend is moving in, a frustrated Elvira holds firm to her belief that her half-Danish ancestry will soon mean an escape from small-town life and all its trappings (TIFF description by JASON RYLE, 2024).

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