Torill Kove is a renowned Norwegian-Canadian filmmaker and animator, born in Hamar, Norway, who has been residing in Montreal since 1982. Her exceptional work has garnered numerous accolades, including three Academy Award nominations, with her film "The Danish Poet" winning the coveted golden statue in 2007.
Kove's films are distinguished by their expressive designs and poignant autobiographical themes, which often explore the challenges of family and parenting, while thoughtfully examining questions related to memory, history, and birth. Her narrative frequently delves into the complexities of family dynamics, parenting, and the human experience.
Kove made her directorial debut in 1999 with "My Grandmother Ironed the King's Shirts," a film co-produced by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and Studio Magica. Loosely inspired by the life of her grandmother, the film was nominated for an Academy Award. Following the success of "The Danish Poet," a love story that thoughtfully explores the random nature of existence, Kove returned with "Me and My Moulton" (2014),a film that chronicles a middle child's search for normalcy in the face of her loving but eccentric parents. The film won Best Animated Short at the 2015 Canadian Screen Awards and was also nominated for an Academy Award.
In 2017, Kove released "Threads," a film that tackles the intricacies of parenting and maintaining connections in a fragmented world. Her most recent film, "Maybe Elephants" (2024),marks a new milestone in her career as she confronts her long-standing fear of tusk-bearing mammals.
Throughout her career, Kove has collaborated with Norwegian studio Mikrofilm and the NFB on her last four films. In 2013, she directed the animated feature "Hocus Pokus Alfie Atkins." Additionally, she has illustrated several children's books.
In 2015, Kove received Norway's prestigious Anders Jahre Prize for the Arts, a testament to her outstanding contributions to the world of animation and filmmaking.
