Two sisters are reunited with their eccentric father, a famous director who left them long time ago. He offers one of them the lead role in his new film. A film by Joachim Trier, starring Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Anders Danielsen Lie, Andreas Stoltenberg Granerud, Øyvind Hesjedal Loven, Jesper Christensen, Lena Endre, Cory Michael Smith, Catherine Cohen, Lars Väringer, Marianne Vassbotn Klasson, Vilde Søyland, Nicholas Bergh, and Elle Fanning.

Filmmaker Gustav Borg (Nicholas Bergh) is married to psychotherapist Sissel (Marianne Vassbotn Klasson). They live in his childhood home in Oslo with their two daughters, Nora and Agnes. However, the heated arguments between Gustav and Sissel intensify day by day until, Gustav leaves for good. The house falls silent, leaving Sissel responsible for raising the girls alone.

Many years later, Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) has become an academic historian and is married to Even (Andreas Stoltenberg Granerud), with whom she has a son, Erik (Øyvind Hesjedal Loven).

Meanwhile, Nora (Renate Reinsve) has followed her passion to become a successful local theater actress. Despite her success, Nora battles stage fright and still harbors a deep grudge against Gustav for abandoning the family. Nora is also having an affair with her colleague Jakob (Anders Danielsen Lie), a married man.

After Sissel passes away, Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård) returns to Oslo to attend the funeral service at their old home. While Nora is showing Erik the antique stove she used to eavesdrop on her parents as a child, she is shocked to hear her father’s voice echoing through it. She rushes to the kitchen to ask Agnes if she knew he was there. Visibly startled, Agnes admits she informed him of Sissel’s death but had no idea he was planning to come.

That evening, before leaving for his hotel, Gustav insists on meeting with Nora while he is in town, claiming he has something important to tell her. Nora agrees, but when she asks why he can’t say it immediately, Gustav deflects, insisting the matter requires a proper conversation. Once he is gone, Nora confides in Agnes, wondering what their father wants. She is then shocked to learn from Agnes that the house is still in Gustav’s name; although their mother was awarded the home in the divorce, they never filed the paperwork.

The next day, Nora meets her father, renowned director Gustav Borg, at Lorry restaurant. Gustav claims he has been thinking about her and worrying, despite being busy with work. He boasts that she might have heard about his film retrospective in France and mentions his documentary is being screened in several countries. Visibly annoyed that Gustav only talks about himself, Nora cuts him off to ask what he actually wants to discuss.

Gustav pulls a manuscript from a plastic bag and places it on the table. He explains that it is a story about a young woman and a mother written specifically for her. He insists she is the only one who can play the lead role. Taken aback, Nora points out that Gustav has never even seen her act. Gustav corrects her and claims he has seen her several times, including a performance of Medea where he left during the intermission. He argues that Nora deserves something more personal than old plays for senior citizens.

However, when he reveals he plans to shoot the film in their old family home, Nora refuses. She wants no part of the project and has no desire to work with him. Confused, Gustav dismisses her reaction as making a fuss and urges her to read the script. Nora snaps when Gustav claims to worry about her. She accuses him of being a drunk who lost the right to care about her long ago. When Gustav insists she read the script, Nora questions the point of it. She tells him “it will never come to anything,” implying that a mere film role cannot fix the family he destroyed when he walked out on them. Furious, Nora storms out of the restaurant.

During a retrospective of his work at the Deauville American Film Festival in France, Gustav Borg participates in a Q&A session. He reveals that the character young Anna in the film they just watched was played by his daughter, Agnes. When the host, Christophe (Lazare Gousseau), asks if audiences can expect another film from him since L’Idylle 15 years ago, Gustav replies that he hopes so.

The Festival du Cinéma Américain de Deauville is an annual film festival held in Deauville, France, dedicated exclusively to American cinema. Founded in 1975 by Lionel Chouchan and André Halimi, with support from Deauville’s mayor Michel d’Ornano and Lucien Barrière, it promotes both Hollywood productions and independent American films. Originally non-competitive, it began awarding prizes for features in 1995 and shorts in 1998. The event screens nearly 100 films over about 10 days at venues like the Centre International de Deauville, Cinéma du Casino Barrière, and Cinéma le Morny. It’s open to the public, unlike many festivals, and includes sections such as a Competition for independents, Tributes to stars, New Hollywood for emerging talents, and American Doc Stories for documentaries.

Unbeknownst to Gustav, American actress Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning) is in the audience and is deeply moved by his film. Later, while Gustav strolls alone on Les Planches, the historic boardwalk, Christophe approaches him. He explains that Rachel sent him to invite Gustav to dinner at L’Excelsior because she loved the movie.

Les Planches is Deauville’s iconic wooden boardwalk promenade along the beach. Built in 1923 by architect Charles Adda as part of the Art Deco Pompeian Baths complex, it originally spanned 444 meters to let elegantly dressed visitors stroll seaside without sandy shoes. Inaugurated in 1924, it now measures about 656 meters and is a protected historic monument. Made of durable tropical azobé wood planks, it’s 7 meters wide and lines the beach from Port Deauville east to near Trouville-sur-Mer west. Colorful parasols dot the sand below in summer, and barriers bear names of stars honored at the Deauville American Film Festival since 1979.

Rachel expresses her deep admiration for Gustav’s work, admitting that she feels burned out despite her packed schedule. When Gustav evades questions about his next project, Rachel correctly deduces that he lacks the budget. Leveraging her star power, she secures financing from Netflix. Grateful for her support and confident in her talent, Gustav offers her the lead role he had originally written for Nora.

Gustav brings Rachel to the house to walk through the blocking of the final scene. Conceived as a single continuous take, the camera will follow the mother as she confirms her son has truly gone before entering the back room to commit suicide. Crucially, the act remains unseen. The shot concludes as she closes the door, leaving the audience with only the chilling sound of a stool toppling onto the wooden floor as the camera pulls away.

Rachel is initially skeptical about the small hook that used to hang a pendant light. She questions if it could really support a person’s weight. Gustav assures her it is possible, admitting his own mother died that way in this very room. Horrified but curious, Rachel asks why he didn’t leave the house immediately after the tragedy. Gustav explains that his family did eventually move to Sweden, his father’s home country. However, he maintains that the character in the script is not his mother.

Directed by Danish-Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier from a screenplay he co-wrote with Eskil Vogt, Affeksjonsverdi is a drama about two sisters reuniting with their estranged father, who returns to Norway following their mother’s death.

The cast delivers exceptionally convincing performances across the board. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Renate Reinsve are particularly strong as Agnes and Nora, two sisters abandoned by their father.

The narrative is compelling despite a fairly predictable plot point relying on Nora’s stubbornness. She has harbored resentment toward her father her whole life, yet the audience knows it is only a matter of time before she caves and reads his script.

Stellan Skarsgård is also great as the egoistic, renowned film director who believes he can simply return to his daughters’ lives and expect them to do his bidding.

Interestingly, Sissel’s role is incredibly brief. This is surprising because she must have played a monumental part in Nora and Agnes’s lives after raising them alone. It feels underwhelming that the film never explains how Sissel used her skills as a psychiatrist to help her daughters navigate their lives. Did I miss something here?

Jeg får ikke til dette her.
Jeg klarer det ikke alene.
Jeg vil ha et hjem.

AFFEKSJONSVERDI premiered at Festival de Cannes on 21 May 2025 in the main competition where in won the Grand Prix. The film was theatrically released in Norway on 12 September.

The Grand Prix is the second-most prestigious award at the Cannes Film Festival, given to an outstanding feature film in the main competition. It serves as the runner-up to the top prize, the Palme d’Or. Established in 1967, it was originally called the Grand Prix Spécial du Jury until 1988, then Grand Prix du Jury until 1994. Since 1995, it’s simply been known as the Grand Prix. Juries award it based on artistic vision, innovative storytelling, technical excellence, and cultural relevance. Films must compete in the official selection to qualify.