Interview with “Heart of the Home” Actress/Writer Elisabeth Steen-Nokleberg

We recently got to promote a new indie horror film, “Heart of the Home,” and wanted to know a little more about it. Thankfully, we got a chance to talk with Elisabeth Steen-Nokleberg, who is the lead actress, writer, and really the heart of the movie. Please take a few minutes to read the interview below to find out where the idea for the film came from, balancing acting and writing, some of challenges making it, and more…

-PH: Lets start with where you got the idea for the movie. How did you come up with the idea for it?

-Elisabeth: Heart of the Home is based on true events, let me just clarify that the killings were fictional amongst a few other things. I knew as soon as I had experienced the situation that I had an excellent foundation for a comedic horror movie! I was brainstorming the idea from then on but it ended up in the back burner for some time. However once I decided to create my own movie I said this is the story I want to start with.

-PH: How long did it take to write? Did the script change a lot before shooting?

-Elisabeth: The script was a process for sure. Initially I gave Sami Sonnesso my story and she put it on paper and I did about two official rewrites. I would say that took about 6 months. Then as I started pre production up until last shoot day new ideas rapidly emerged and the script was ever changing. At this point it was impossible for Sami or myself almost to keep up so I just added the changes handwritten. The final draft script and the movie has a ton of changes.

-PH: When you decided to make the film did you always know you would be starring in it as well?

-Elisabeth: Absolutely that was my intention behind the film, to create a perfect part for myself but then again I am an actress first and foremost. This is btw a common trend amongst actors.

-PH: And once you started filming, how did it feel to see your vision coming to life?

-Elisabeth: It was so exciting. We shot the film in 6 days so naturally everyone was hyper focused but I had spent a lot of time rehearsing myself and the other actors and to see all of us bring the material to life so smoothly made me very happy. Also David Palmieri s directorial and cinematography work was  a really good surprise most of it I saw in post production we we had too little time to go over footage on the shoot days. I was thrilled about the teamwork from cast and crew come together so well for such a low budget project.

-PH: What was it like for you balancing your work both in front of the camera, and behind it?

-Elisabeth: It was extremely challenging and stressful but due to extensive acting preparation it worked out well. Yet in the midst of the pressure there was a lot of fun in it.

-PH: Being an indie film, what were some of your biggest challenges?

-Elisabeth: When it is your passion project and lets face it your own hard earned money you no one is gonna care like you. So this forced me to boss up and be firm. Juggling so many hats in pre production and during the shoot was as mentioned overwhelming, however it all flowed well and easy. In post production it got difficult. I felt that I had taken on something way bigger then myself, but now I had started and it was up to me to get through it. It turned into quite a long lonely and hard road. I was working 6-7 days a week, weekends and holidays included for a few years to finance post production. Dealing with technicalities I was completely unfamiliar with was tough but thankfully the people I worked with were very patient with my inexperience. I was very very detailed oriented in post production which also extended the time span and extra frustration.

-PH: Talk a little about some of your fellow cast members. What was it like working with them?

-Elisabeth: I love the whole cast. Many were filmmakers and actors I knew from before, I knew they were good,reliable and professional. I do not do nepotism however so the parts got filled by people I thought fitted the parts perfectly. I spent a lot of time rehearsing with especially Mia Ando and Yukina Takase, who hold the movie with me. I consider myself lucky having worked so much with everyone who acted in Heart of the Home.

 -PH: And when the film was finished, did everyone watch it together? What was it like to see how all the hard work turned out?

-Elisabeth: Unfortunately due to the pandemic there was no screenings nor premiere. I obviously have seen in tons of times, but I had my own private moment watching it for a final time alone pre releasing. I watched it with popcorn and tears of relief shedding. I finished watching it a few minutes pre official US and Canada release. The cast and crew have been very proud and happy watching it and that makes me super happy!

-PH: Are you nervous, excited, or maybe a little both now that the film is out for audiences to see?

-Elisabeth: I dedicated this movie to honor my love for my parents who passed the passion for creativity and artistry to me. I dedicated it to myself to honor my love for imagination, story telling, theatrical drama and performing. So to answer the question it matters what audience things yes and no at the same time. Some nerves come with the territory but my intention behind making this film was very personal.

-PH: Where can fans find the movie? Will it be on DVD?

-Elisabeth: Heart of the Home is available on iTunes, Amazon Prime, Vudu and Google Play in US and Canada! DVD will be released soon as well as more platforms. International distribution is in the works. We are in Instagram and Facebook under @heartofthehome and you can also follow my personal pages @ElisabethSteenNokleberg for updates.

-PH: Here’s your chance to promote anything we haven’t talked about. Let us know something more about the film, what you have coming in the future, where people can find you, or anything else you would like to mention.

-Elisabeth: Sami Sonnesso and I are collaborating on a horror feature, and I am writing a dark drama. Its going way darker and more twisted from here on;)

We would like to thank Elisabeth for taking the time to answer our questions. Hopefully this gave you a good look inside this movie, and the hard work it took to bring this indie horror film to fans. If you haven’t seen it yet, remember that you can catch it right now on streaming networks like iTunes, Amazon Prime, and Google Play!

You May Also Like

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.