The Mum in Me

'The Mum in Me' is a touching, brave and hyper relevant documentary about a taboo topic: What happens to a woman emotionally, mentally and socially when she is hit by involuntary childlessness? And how does the society react? The backdrop of this film is the fact that 15-25% of the population in Western countries are childless, and it is not being talked about in public.
The director is the storyteller taking the audience on a challenging, but also heartwarming and humorous personal journey together with other childless women and some psychology specialists. Not many filmmakers dare to invite into such a vulnerable life situation. This is a fragile and deeply honest journey into the existential depth of a woman's mind.

  • Hilde Merete Haug
    Director
  • Hilde Merete Haug
    Writer
  • Tore Killingland
    Producer
  • Hilde Merete Haug
    Producer
  • Hilde Merete Haug
    Key Cast
  • Cristina Archetti
    Key Cast
  • Linda Malm
    Key Cast
  • Hildegun Sarita Selle
    Key Cast
  • Saphira Bjørnå
    Key Cast
  • Anders Möller
    Key Cast
  • Lars Erlend Tubaas Øymo
    Director of Photography
  • Jonas Eriksen Kiplesund
    Editor
  • Eirik Mordal
    Sound design
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Mammaen i meg
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Human and social issues
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 23 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    November 1, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    300,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Norway
  • Country of Filming:
    Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English, Norwegian, Swedish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital HDCM 4K and 2 K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1:1,85
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Nordic Docs
    Fredrikstad
    Norway
    November 11, 2022
    World premiere
    Audience award, Competition Program
  • HUMAN idff
    Oslo
    Norway
    March 7, 2023
    Oslo premiere
    Competition program
  • The Norwegian Documentary FIlm festival
    Volda
    Norway
    May 6, 2023
    Competition Program
Distribution Information
  • Haugtussa Film
    Distributor
    Country: Norway
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Hilde Merete Haug

HILDE MERETE HAUG is originally educated as a social scientist and has worked with development aid for many years. Since 2012 she has worked as a documentary filmmaker. She has directed and produced two mid length documentaries; ‘Mother’s Faith, My Destiny’ and ‘God Cannot be Googled’. Both of them have been screened and presented at several national and international festivals and some TV channels. 'The Mum in me' is Hilde's first feature documentary. The common thread in Hilde’s documentaries, are topics which have an immense significance in people’s lives, but which are taboo or not openly shared or debated in the public sphere. Hilde is now developing a visually strong documentary on how the shifting flow of the river Brahmaputra in Bangladesh strongly influences the life of the inhabitants in the area and the songs and music created there. Hilde is the founder of Haugtussa Film.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I believe, that this documentary is of relevance to everyone who has a dream which might not be fulfilled, everyone who is searching for something bigger than themselves.

At first sight, this project might seem like it is targeted basically towards the involuntary childless women and men, but I believe that the film also will be very useful for the ones who already have become parents - to understand the pain, guilt, sadness, sometimes even depression related to involuntary childlessness, and also mutual awkwardness and avoidance. The film will be a great instrument countering wrong/cliché thoughts about ‘each other’. And the film is definitely of relevance to the women and men who are postponing thinking about whether they want to have children or not due to higher education or their professional career.

In our society we, or some, claim that motherhood basically can be discussed using cultural and societal norms and values - and yes, of course, to a certain extent we can, because motherhood has different connotations in different cultural and societal settings. Motherhood has different consequences both socially and economically in different parts of the world - but becoming a mother is not only a cultural or societal phenomenon. We can’t get away from the fact that the female body is designed to give birth – so what are the consequences for a woman’s mind, a woman’s body when this does not happen?

No documentaries have been made about this topic and it is extremely rare that the involuntary childless manage to talk about their experiences in public, so there is a dire need for a film like this.

I am convinced that the film can create healing processes and make it easier for the involuntary childless to bring their stories and experiences out in the public. The so-called ‘happy child-free’ have been exposing themselves and their stories for a while, but with this film I will try to make it easier for the involuntary childless to raise their voice.