Se meg (Don't Call Me Mama)

A woman from a small Norwegian village ends up in the predicament of her lifetime when she falls in love with a young asylum seeker and enters an illicit romance that causes them both to suffer devastating consequences. The story moves in the gray areas between naivety and exploitation, power and powerlessness, where sympathy continually shifts.

Nina Knag is a Norwegian writer-director whose debut feature Don’t Call Me Mama (Se meg) premiered at the 2025 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where Pia Tjelta won Best Actress. The film received outstanding reviews both nationally and internationally, and opened the Bergen International Film Festival before its theatrical release in Norwegian cinemas. Knag has directed episodes of NRK’s Rumours and several award-winning shorts (The First Days, It’s Alright). With a background from Westerdals and the Ivana Chubbuck Studio in Los Angeles, and extensive experience as a casting director, she brings a strong understanding of performance and storytelling. She is currently developing a new drama series and several feature projects.

With the support of the Embassy of Norway and the Norwegian Film Institute.

Presentation and Q&A with the director.

Year of Production: 2025

Time: 105’

Country: Norway

Language: Norwegian, Danish, English, Arabic. Original version with Spanish subtitles

Director: Nina Knag

Cast: Pia Tjelta, Kristoffer Joner, Tarek Zayat, Kathrine Thorborg Johansen

Production: Janne Hjeltnes, Pia Tjelta, Eleonore Anselme, Ingrid Skagestad

Script: Nina Knag, Kathrine Valen Zeiner

Director of Photography: Alvilde Horjen Naterstad

Production Companies: The Global Ensemble Drama, Screen Story

International Sales: REinvent International Sales

Selected at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival: Best Actress to Pia Tjelta

Premiere in Spain