Michael and the Dragon

Michael and the Dragon is an experimental horror short inspired by the biblical account of the War in Heaven that explores identity, piety, violence, and archetypes of good and evil through its expressionistic visuals and dissonant score.

  • Ella Price
    Director
  • Ella Price
    Writer
  • Andrew Grigiss
    Producer
  • Ella Price
    Producer
  • Cait Rowe
    Producer
  • Micky Waickman
    Key Cast
  • Cait Rowe
    Director of Photography
  • Raven Grant
    Music by
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    horror, supernatural, religious, experimental, expressionism, dance, silent
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 23, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    700 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Black & White
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Wright State University
Director Biography - Ella Price

Ella Price is a writer-director, a lifelong student of horror, and a firm believer in the magic trick that is the movies. She has a passion for visual storytelling and for the art of performance, and is happiest when workshopping a scene with actors. When she isn't making movies, she makes popcorn at the local movie theater.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

As we were developing this film, I wanted to explore St. Michael the Archangel and Satan as archetypes of good and evil from a really physical, human perspective. For much of my life, I’ve had a fascination with the figure of St. Michael, who has made regular appearances in my dreams and nightmares as an intimidating figure – at times a righteous warrior, at others a paragon of repression. Processing the meaning of St. Michael in my own life has been an important journey for me. Satan is a more universal figure, but no less complex.

It was so fun and rewarding to develop these characters and their dynamic in a visual and musical way. I think they can be understood in a variety of different binaries beyond the reductive categories of good and bad or hero and villain. In addition to the Book of Revelation, I was greatly inspired by the Greek myth of Tydeus and the story of Achilles and Hector in the Iliad, with its themes of doppelgängers and suicidal victory. Ultimately, my hope is that this film emotionally connects with people enough that it can be a jumping off point for learning more about themselves, as it has been for me.

The film is also our love letter to early cinema, and we try to wear our influences on our sleeve. Film is such a visceral medium, and it’s unmatched in its ability to take complicated concepts and emotions and give them a real, flesh and blood quality. I believe that movies are magic, and that the people who make them are magicians. This film embraces the idea that I don’t have to hide the artificial nature of what I’m doing in order to make you believe the impossible.