Entitled TOVE, the first feature film about Tove Jansson is now in production, directed by Zaida Bergroth and shot in Helsinki, Finland in Jansson's native language Swedish. Tove Jansson is portrayed by Alma Pöysti, a rising Finnish actress mostly known for her work in the theatre scene both in Finland and in Sweden. Vivica Bandler is played by Krista Kosonen and Shanti Roney plays Atos Wirtanen. The national premiere in Finland is in September 2020.

“I cried and laughed at the same time when I got the call”, Alma Pöysti describes the moment when she heard she had landed the role of Tove Jansson in the first feature drama film ever made about the world-famous Moomin creator. “Just like almost every Finn I grew up with her. We were surrounded by Tove’s art and works ever since I was a child. I think I even learnt to talk through her words, because we were always reading her books in my family.”

Interestingly, Alma Pöysti also has a personal connection to Tove Jansson, as her grandmother Birgitta Ulfsson was a close friend of Jansson, and Pöysti met her when she was a child. This played an important role also when she heard about getting the role: “I jumped on my bike and bought flowers and went to the cemetery; to Tove’s grave and my grandmother’s grave, which are quite close to each other. They were friends, and I felt a connection to Tove through my grandmother.”