Solomamma Review: The Name of the Father

Sperm donation and its consequences are the thematic and emotional core of Janicke Askevold’s comedy-drama Solomamma, screened in Locarno’s main competition.

Lisa Loven Kongsli (Wonder Woman) stars as Edith, a journalist and single mother. For the past four years, she has raised her son Sigurd alone, as she got pregnant via anonymous sperm donation. Doing it solo is not always easy, but she claims to have the hang of it, especially when her (usually male) friends compliment her on the topic. At one point, though, she becomes curious about the boy’s biological father, mainly to get an idea of how Sigurd might turn out when he grows up. 

Through context clues in the donor’s file (including an audio recording where he talks about himself in what are supposed to be vague terms), she deduces his identity: Niels (Herbert Nordrum, The Worst Person in the World), a fellow Norwegian who offered his, uh, manual labor at a clinic in Denmark. Under the pretense of interviewing him about his company, Edith initiates contact and a first, lengthy conversation takes place. 

So far, so good. Except, they keep running into each other, and Edith’s curiosity to see things through surpasses her ethics. But sooner or later, the continued deception will have consequences on a profoundly emotional level, not just for her but also for everyone in her immediate circle of family and friends. Which begs the question: how will Niels eventually qualify within that group? 

Taking inspiration from something that happened to a real-life friend of hers, Askevold puts a refreshing spin on a premise that has usually been the subject of raunchier, more broadly comedic approaches. One needs only think of the Canadian movie Starbuck, or its remakes, where a man discovers his donations resulted in 533 children. Here, while the story does turn into a carefully crafted two-hander, the initial focus is squarely on the mother, and her emotional journey as a person who chose to become a single parent. 

So electric is the chemistry between Kongsli and Nordrum – the former a bubbling pot of contradictory feelings, the latter a welcome subversion of the slacker archetype associated with the premise – that once Nordrum enters the picture the story loses a bit of momentum whenever he’s not on screen. Through their interactions, a precisely constructed balance of naturalistic dialogue and awkward silences captured in exquisite close-ups, the plot unfolds in a tangibly real manner. 

Even when the clichéd line “All I did was jerk off in a cup” rears its head, it’s in a context that adds layers of depth and sets the stage for a quietly perfect climax (pun not intended). It’s the natural evolution for a solid first film that generally and commendably avoids the pitfalls of easy humorous shortcuts. And while this was way more of a team effort, with cinematographer Torjus Thesen and editor Patrick Larsgaard particularly deserving of praise, Askevold can, much like Edith, be justifiably proud of her (cinematic) child.

Solomamma had its World Premiere at the Locarno Film Festival on August 11, 2025. The film will be screened again on August 12-13.