Nina Knags's Feature Debut "Don't Call Me Mama" (Se Meg) Hits Norwegian Theaters On October 31st

Fresh off its award winning run through the European festival circuit, Nina Knag’s debut Don’t Call Me Mamma has come full circle. Last week it opened the Bergen International Film Festival to huge fanfare and rave reviews and on the 31st it will be available to the Norwegian public.

The film, which explores the uncomfortable territory of a married teacher entering into an affair with a young asylum seeker wasn't an easy sell. It also created casting challenges. "Some actresses were skeptical about playing this part," Knag admits, describing how potential leads judged the morally complex Eva before even meeting her. Enter Pia Tjelta, who immediately responded: "Finally, a director who wants to say something important." 

Nina Knag & Pia Tjelta with Crystal Globe

The choice to cast Tjelta who gives a layered performance of a woman looking for revenge, excitement and love and who transforms from somewhat naive to selfaware, was validated almost immediately.  Pia was awarded the Crystal Globe for Best Actress at this year's Karlovy Vary International Film Festival where the film had its world premier earlier this summer.

What makes Knag's approach compelling isn't just the controversial subject matter, it's her refusal to make easy moral judgments. "I could never judge a character that I'm writing," she explains. "I started asking myself, could this be me or you or anyone?" That empathy transforms what could have been exploitative into something genuinely provocative.

There is a clear power imbalance in the relationship between Eva and Amir, played with admirable restraint by Tarek Zayat. She literally holds his future in her hands. But Knag remains neutral as we watch Eva navigate the affair.

Veteran Kristoffer Joner helps anchor the story as Eva’s husband Jostein, a political party leader who has betrayed her. Eva’s strained relationship with Jostein plays out in contrast to her ever growing passion for Tarek. In an interesting twist Joner and Tjelta are reunited on screen 25 years after playing a young couple in the Norwegian Christmas rom-com Mongoland

When I spoke with her, Nina told me that she likes films that make people "continue thinking" long after the credits roll. She’s made one to add to that list with Don’t Call Me Mama.

For the complete conversation with Nina Knag about her filmmaking process, the challenges of directing intimate scenes, and why she spent a fortune on underwater footage that didn't make the final cut, check out her full interview here on Stream Close Up or wherever you find your podcasts.