Solomamma

Edith (Lisa Loven Kongsli), a journalist in her 40s, chose to become a single mother through an anonymous sperm donor, believing she can build a life on her own terms. She is now the happy mother of a five-year-old son. But the emotional weight of parenting alone begins to wear on her, and doubts creep in. When she unexpectedly discovers the donor’s identity—a nearby successful game developer named Niels (The Worst Person in the World)—curiosity leads her to meet him on the pretext of an interview.

What begins as a calculated encounter gradually deepens into a genuine connection, driving Edith to sink deeper into lies and endanger the fragile balance of the life she has built.

For her second film as a director, Janicke Askevold demonstrates a particular talent for writing. In a discrete yet confident crescendo of perceptive touches, the nuanced portrait she paints of her protagonists is scathing but without mockery. The unfairly stressful question of whether one can optimise our quality of parenting or family structure receives a... very interesting response.

On Saturday, Nov 15th, the screening will be followed with a discussion hosted by Dr Deborah Jermyn, Associate Professor in Film & Culture and Deputy Research Degrees Convenor in School of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, University of Roehampton, London.

This film is eligible for the Spirit of the Festival Award for Best Film award and Best Screenplay, and for the Audentia Award.