In an elegant apartment on Oscars gate in Oslo, three couples gather for dinner on an early winter evening. All the guests are in their 40s and 50s, and five of them have known each other since childhood. It is a special occasion, as the pandemic has finally ended after keeping them apart for a long time.

As the evening begins with pleasant and superficial conversation around the table, they gradually sense that things are no longer the same as before. The changes in their lives affect the way they relate to one another, and the community they once shared is no longer what it used to be.

As the night unfolds, revelations and traumatic episodes from the past begin to surface, creating conflict among the friends. The tension around the table steadily rises, reaching a climax that no one could have imagined at the beginning of the evening.

Over the past 12 years, I have worked at Døves Media as a photographer and editor. Before that, I spent 12 years in the theatre industry, where I had the pleasure of collaborating closely with several directors. During that time, a dream slowly began to grow in me: the dream of one day becoming a director myself.

After an injury that forced me into several months of sick leave, I suddenly had the time and space to explore that dream more deeply. In 2018, I began writing, and in 2023 my dream finally became reality thanks to Døves Media, who believed in me. I was given the opportunity to direct the film project Salt & Pepper, an incredibly exciting experience.

Through this project, I learned so much from everyone involved and gained enormous respect for their artistic and technical work. Witnessing the entire process from beginning to end was truly extraordinary. Thank you so much!

My experience has shown me that, in artistic contexts like this, challenges related to cultural differences can arise. With Salt & Pepper, I was aware that everyone involved would need to communicate through sign language, without the presence of an interpreter. Being able to communicate directly with one another is a great advantage in projects like this, because it leads to deeper understanding. If communication between all the artistic parties involved does not function at its best, ambitions risk being diminished. Fortunately, this was not the case with Salt & Pepper.

— Mehlum, screenwriter and director