Silje Salomonsen about SISTERS - THE SUMMER WE FOUND OUR SUPERPOWERS: “On the list were wings, a cape and a unicorn”

SISTERS is a true family project. But even when being sisters in real life, Billie and Vega are each other’s opposites in every sense. In the opening scene the right words are found to define how exactly they differ from each other: it’s about Lego structures, reading manuals, and “magic packing”. There is a resignation in Vega’s voice every time she describes herself as “the normal one”. 

I’ve heard many theories about the magic word ‘Tottori’ in your film. Most of those theories refer to Hayao Miyazaki’s film…

Silje Salomonsen: None of that is true. The word ‘Tottori’ was made up by Billie during the shooting when her older sister Vega was spelling out the word ‘Daddy’. As Billie was only four years old at the time and couldn’t spell, she made up her own word instead. ‘Tottori’ stayed with us as the term to describe ‘the world of magic powers’.

I was deeply moved by the tone of your opening scene.

Salomonsen: Setting that tone right from the beginning was extremely important. It was one of those scenes that we came back to over and over again in the editing. We probably had more than ten different voice-over versions before landing on the one we have now.

Those kids are simply sensational. Would it have been a different film if it were another Vega and another Billie?

Salomonsen: The characters Vega and Billie are inspired by two real girls, but their character traits are more enhanced in the film. After all it is fiction. We cast our daughters – yes, we are a family, we as directors are husband and wife and the girls are our daughters – which was not an obvious choice.

To find out what this film did for the dynamics in your family, I will ask you three sub- questions: What impact did this film have on your parental role?

Salomonsen: Before we started, we expected that using our own children would be easier. It was not! Actually, it turned out to be one of the hardest things we’ve ever done. Because the kids know us so well, they know exactly which buttons to push. But it also brought the family together, and we enjoyed the process of creating something together. We have almost forgotten now how frustrating it sometimes was. And it was also a lot of fun on the set from time to time.

What impact did it have on the bond between Vega and Billie?

Salomonsen: We wanted to teach them that appreciating the creative process is more important than the final result or how it is received. Therefore, it was important to include them in every part of the process. We like to think they might have gained something from that as human beings, but I guess the answer to that can only be pointed out in 10 years or so.

And what impact did it have on the parents?

Salomonsen: We have worked together for 25 years as actress and director. The first 10 years of our relationship was strictly professional, but in 2005 we became a couple. On the last movies we did together the line between director and actor started blurring, and on SISTERS we decided to share the directing credit. Making movies together is a natural process for us; it is and has always been a way of life in this family.

How common is it for Norwegian families to go hiking?

Salomonsen: Very common, but not in our family. For us it was completely unusual to spend so much time in nature, but now we have grown quite fond of it.

The girls’ costumes have a big impact on the film’s visual image. Did you even try to find matching colours?

Salomonsen: Billie actually co-designed her own costume. We wanted it to reflect a child’s imagination, so Billie gave our costume designer a list of the assets she wanted. On that list were wings, a cape, a unicorn… She got all of it!

Was every part of their play scripted?

Salomonsen: Children can treat everything as some sort of game. The overall storyline was scripted, but many of the dialogues (especially Billie’s) were improvised. Acting is often called “playing”, which is something kids do all the time, so in a way they are born actors. Even getting lost eventually turns into “playing in the woods”.

In the best children’s films, kids are capable of solving their own problems. SISTERS takes this element to the next level; these kids handle everything by themselves.

Salomonsen: In many children’s films the grown-ups in the end save the day, which we absolutely wanted to avoid. The two girls have to figure it all out by themselves. The fact that every grown-up in this film has either fallen into a hole or got lost in some kind of mental wilderness was an important issue. In a way, we want to prepare children to take life into their own hands. At the same time, we make clear that parents serve as powerful role models for their children, and that we all need each other in the end.

Thanks to our Belgian co-worker Gert Hermans for the interview, © Ale Kino! Festival.