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Raine Allen-Miller | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 1989 (age 36) Manchester, England |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Spouse | |
| Website | www |
Raine Allen-Miller (born September 1989) is a British film director and writer. Her first feature film,Rye Lane, was released in 2023.
Born inManchester, Allen-Miller spent her early childhood inMoss Side, a southern inner-city area. She has two younger sisters and one younger brother. Her mother worked in prisons teaching art and created centres to support pupils excluded from schools. Her mother would frequently take her toBlockbuster which fueled her love for films.[1]
When she was 12 years old, Allen-Miller moved toBrixton, South London, with her father. She considers her father a source of inspiration who encouraged her to pursue her passions.[2] Upon arriving in London, Allen-Miller's grandmother took her toBrixton Market to connect with her heritage and get "Jamaican spice or plantain or an Afro comb".[3] Allen-Miller would put on one-man shows as a child, recreating the musicalAnnie for her family.[4]
Allen-Miller attended theBRIT School in Croydon where she studied art. She began her studies in Illustration atCamberwell College of Arts, but dropped out.[5]
Allen-Miller worked as an agent for artists and photographers, and then in art-buying and creative production. She left her job to form a creative duo with school friend and copywriter Lisa Turner-Wray, submitting portfolios to agencies and landing their first advertising gig withAnomaly in October 2014.[6] This was followed by further gigs withSaatchi & Saatchi andMother.
She directed her first music video for Salute's "Storm" in the aftermath of the2016 EU referendum and made it a celebration of immigration. This was followed byDenai Moore's "Trickle" in 2017 as well as Allen-Miller's first short filmJerk in 2018, about an older man from theWindrush generation.[7] She also worked on campaigns forASOS, theTate Modern, andSquarespace,[8] and on a workshop for the Creative Circle Foundation.[9] She was named a 2021Screen International Star of Tomorrow.[10]
Despite having mixed feelings on the genre, Allen-Miller's first feature filmRye Lane (2023) is a romantic comedy drama set inPeckham, south London. The project came about throughJerk, where she met theBBC Film producer Eva Yates. Yates then recommended Allen-Miller to be the director for writersNathan Bryon and Tom Melia's screenplay, originally set in Camden. According to Allen-Miller, in addition to its two main characters, Dom (David Jonsson) and Livewire Yas (Vivian Oparah), the film's setting should also be considered a character. She called it "a love letter to South London".[11]
"I know Peckham and Brixton so well that I had to shoot it there. I wanted to elevate these places and put them on a plinth. They have so much soul and depth. When we were filming, so many people came over and asked, 'You shootingEastEnders?’ They were so excited that we were there. That is one of the things I love about south London. You can be walking down Rye Lane and see someone carrying a trolley full of tins of beans with a dog just sitting there. It's that spirit."[12]
The film opened at the2023 Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim.[13] At theBritish Independent Film Awards 2023 the film was nominated for Best British Independent Film with Allen-Miller being nominated for Best Director. ActorColin Firth has a cameo in the film.[14] The film's production companySearchlight planned for a straight-to-streaming US release.[3]
As of March 2023, Allen-Miller is writing another film and developing a television show. She has stated that she does not expect to return to the rom-com genre any time soon.[1] She also has a heist film in development.[10]
Allen-Miller considers British directorSteve McQueen to be her "biggest hero",[3] and also mentioned Swedish directorRoy Andersson as an influence of hers.[11] In 2017, she said, "I am really inspired byJean-Paul Goude,Guy Bourdin and interior design throughout history. Art department is something I find really interesting because I think you can tell a story with an environment."[2] She considersSpike Lee andMartin Scorsese as prominent influences, as well as the filmsBeverly Hills Cop andPretty Woman.[1]
For her debut feature film,Rye Lane, Allen-Miller wanted the female lead to be funny, and the world to feel more elevated and dreamlike.[15] She pulled a reference from theChannel 4 sitcomPeep Show when framing wide shots close to actors' faces without breaking the fourth wall, which cinematographer Olan Collardy called the "Peep shot".[3]
In December 2023, Allen-Miller married fellow filmmaker Freddie Waters atLambeth Town Hall followed by a reception at the Camberwell Arms.[16]
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