By José Alberto Hermosillo
Until now, “War Sailor,” known as “Krigsseileren,” has been the most expensive production ever made in Norway. The film attempts to set history right by presenting the sailors’ struggle as heroic. Still, those in charge see them as a public burden, criminals and deserters who deserve to be forgotten and dismissed without the benefits of the law for their service.
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| “War Sailor” lobby at a Beverly Hills screening. Photo by José Alberto Hermosillo. Copyright © Festival in LA |
During WWII, over 30,000 Norwegian and 10,000 American sailors took part in the war on the Scandinavian Peninsula and in the North Sea.
“War Sailor” courageously explores the direct participation of those sailors in those epic battles and the devastating effects on them and their families back home.
The film links the sailors’ past pain to their present, showing how those traumatic experiences were passed down through generations.
The story centers on Alfred, played by Kristoffer Joner (“The Wave,” “The Revenant”), a working-class sailor from Bergen and the head of his family. He is close to his childhood friend Sigbjørn (Pål Sverre Hagen, “Kon Tiki”), and they have worked together on a merchant ship for years.
When WWII broke out, they found themselves fighting on the front lines, wearing civilian clothes, unarmed, with a starving crew, after their merchant ship was attacked by German submarines. Their journey continues from their rescue to their attempts to rebuild their lives separately, and shows how their families suffer from their absence and the trauma of PTSD.
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| Marie Wilmann, “War Sailor.” Photo by José Alberto Hermosillo. Copyright © Festival in LA |
Actor Marie Wilmann, who portrays Cecilia, Alfred’s wife, took her role in the film personally. Her parents and grandparents lived through the war years, and she felt their endurance. The war’s effects were felt by women like her mother and grandmother.
Researching this epic film was a massive undertaking. Norwegian writer/director Gunnar Vikene (“Here is Harold”) based his original screenplay on true events, interviews, and numerous visits to museums and Norway’s National Archives. He then shifted his focus to explore the sailors’ emotional, physical, and financial struggles.
For this film, the director’s biggest influence was the contemporary Oscar-winning short documentary “The White Helmets,” a gripping real-life chronicle of UN responders saving lives in Syria. Norwegians initially knew little about the significance of that war, but newly arrived Syrian immigrants helped educate locals about their harrowing experiences in their troubled homeland.
“War Sailor” vividly shows how war affects everyone in the community. Director of Photography Sturla Brandth Grøvlen (“Victoria,” “Another Round,” “Rams”) moved the camera intuitively. His exceptional close-ups of the actors’ eyes are as striking as his landscapes and ocean views.
At the Oslo premiere, some attendees opposed the film’s truth and clashed with its story. The filmmakers spoke extensively with war veterans about how the war affected them and their families. Ironically, when they received a medal, they also received a bill for it. Norwegians also had to pay extra taxes on food and supplies.
After the war, sailors returned home with bills to pay, along with struggles with alcoholism and addiction to medications and other drugs. Norwegian veterans never received proper recognition or compensation for their service. Many sailors came from different countries, including the United States.
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| Pål Sverre Hegen & Marie Wilmann, “War Sailor.” Photo by José Alberto Hermosillo. Copyright © Festival in LA |
According to the actors, producing the film during the pandemic was even more challenging and costly because some cast and crew members contracted COVID-19. “War Sailor” is the most prominent Norwegian production filmed in Malta, Germany, and Norway.
“War Sailor” is Norway’s Best International Feature Film entry for the 95th Academy Awards. It is now streaming on Netflix as a three-episode miniseries.
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| Pål Sverre Hegen & Marie Wilmann, “War Sailor.” Critc José Alberto Hermosillo. Copyright © Festival in LA |
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