Kajsa Næss

After 25 years as an innovative short animation director, Kajsa Næss is ready for her feature film debut with TITINA. Næss is known for her playful, humorous and humanistic films. Her award-winning shorts have featured in prestigious festivals such as Clermont-Ferrand, Annecy and Tribeca. In addition to her many film awards, Næss has been granted the Norwegian Ministry of Culture’s Human Rights Award. Her dozen credits include IT WAS MINE (2015), IT’S UP TO YOU (2013), DECONSTRUCTION WORKERS (2008), LEONID SHOWER (2004) and MOTHER SAID (1999). Kajsa founded the Oscar winning studio Mikrofilm together with producer Lise Fearnley in 1996.

I came across this particular story by chance. I was surprised that I hadn’t already heard of it, because this was a huge media event in the 1920s, and the airship makes it such a spectacle. But it faded into history over time, and most Norwegians today don’t know how Amundsen died or that he disappeared searching for Umberto Nobile. So even though Amundsen himself is an icon, this part of his life is less known. The presence of Titina is another thing that drew me to this story. As Norwegians, we all know that if you bring dogs to the polar region, they have to work, or you should be able to eat them. The Arctic is no place for little lapdogs. Why would you bring a pet to such a place? It’s very strange to me. This made this story so interesting. And how did it actually work to have a tiny dog travelling in an airship? I was also charmed by the airship itself. It’s so large, and so fragile, and so strange.”