TIFF 2026 Opens with Solomamma

“I hope the film will resonate widely. Even if you’re not a solo mother, you can recognise the experience of making big decisions on your own,” says director Janicke Askevold.

Askevold is in Tromsø for TIFF’s kick-off event, where Solomamma is presented as the festival’s opening film. This is her very first visit to Northern Norway, and the city has dressed up in its finest winter attire – fresh snow and the year’s very last rays of sunlight.

“I landed yesterday afternoon. It was completely dark, so today was the first time I actually saw the city. It’s absolutely fantastic. Very overwhelming,” she says.

From Paris to Tromsø

Askevold was born in Bærum in 1980. At 19, she was recruited by a modelling agency and moved to Milan, before settling a few years later in Paris – the city she has lived in ever since, and where she found her way into theatre and film. During the Covid period, she made the feature Together Alone, a low-budget production without financing.
“Together Alone was something we made on the spur of the moment, more like a film school exercise for me. Solomamma is the first proper feature film,” she says.

The film follows Edith, who has a child alone through sperm donation and seeks answers about the child’s origins.
While developing the story, Askevold spoke with solo mothers across the country.

“That was incredibly important for the writing. I’ve spoken to many solo mothers, also through Facebook, and heard about what they actually face.”

Festival director Lisa Hoen believes the film raises questions that matter to far more people than its presumed target group.
“The film shows how families are shaped today, and what happens when you make choices that fall outside the traditional framework.”

She was struck by Askevold’s work on the film.

“It’s simply very well directed and a tremendous debut. I appreciate how the film is both visually elegant and at the same time close and intimate. Askevold has also brought in two excellent actors: Lisa Loven Kongsli, who plays a complex woman – curious, strong, independent and at the same time vulnerable. Herbert Nordrum, known from The Worst Person in the World, is a strong counterpart to her in the somewhat enigmatic male lead.”

Tight schedules, children on set – and a double life

The shoot took place over a few short days, which shaped the entire process.

“You become very dependent on the weather. And we worked with many children. Sigurd wasn’t even five when we filmed. You never quite know how things will turn out, so you work a lot in the moment. But it turned out really, really well.”

At the same time, Askevold lived a demanding commuter life between Paris and the production.

“I live in Paris and have children, so it became a kind of double life. I travelled back and forth constantly. Personally, that was the toughest part.”

The film has already been shown at several international festivals, in countries with very different attitudes towards sperm donation and solo motherhood.

“The biotechnology laws vary greatly. We screened the film in countries where sperm donation is strictly forbidden, and I was nervous – especially in Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. But the reception has been very positive.”

After screenings, she often finds that audiences relate strongly to the film.
“People often come up to me and share their own stories. Not necessarily about donor conception, but for instance that they didn’t grow up with their father. There are many different experiences, and the film seems to resonate with a wide audience.”

In the cast, Askevold also found a natural and important voice in Trude Sofie Olavsrud Anthonsen from Lødingen, who plays the role of Trine.
“She fitted the role perfectly – and she’s a solo mother herself to two young boys. It was valuable to have a solo mother in the project. We talked a lot about her experiences, and that was very helpful,” Askevold says.

A film about new family forms

For Askevold, Solomamma is about something bigger than choices around reproduction.
“There are many different family forms today, especially with modern technology and changes in biotechnology laws. There isn’t one family form that’s better than another. A family with a solo mother is just as complete as any other.”

That the film is opening TIFF, she describes as a major moment.
“I honestly just hoped to get into the programme at all. Being chosen as the opening film feels like a great honour. I’m very, very excited to see how the Norwegian audience receives it.”