The Heavy Water War

WITH A NUCLEAR WEAPON H I T L E R W O U L D H AV E W O N T H E WA R

DI R E CT E D BY

P ER- OLAV SØREN S EN TV SERIES 6x45 MIN

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T H E H E AV Y WAT E R WA R

A six-part dramatization of one of the most exciting stories from the Second World War - the Nazis’ efforts to develop an atom bomb and the Allies’ desperate struggle to prevent it from happening.

The series starts in Stockholm in 1933 when German scientist Werner Heisenberg is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics and is congratulated by his mentor Niels Bohr – a previous Nobel Prize winner. One of the dramatic high points is the daring sabotage mission to blow up the heavy water factory in the Norwegian mountains in 1943.

Leading English, Norwegian and German actors portray real life characters and we get to understand their dilemmas and challenges in this epic story, the outcome of which will determine the future of democracy.

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EPISODES As scripted. The edited episodes may vary in content.

EPISODE 1 Brilliant German scientist and Nobel Prize winner Werner Heisenberg is accused by the new Nazi regime of being politically “unreliable”.

He is about to lose his University position, but when his mother appeals to the mother of SS leader Heinrich Himmler, he is allowed into Uranverein, the secret Nazi nuclear energy project. Heisenberg believes heavy water is needed to control the chain reaction. This component only exists at Norsk Hydro’s factory in Rjukan, Norway.

The Second World War has now broken out. As a former scientist at Rjukan, Norwegian professor and reserve officer Leif Tronstad suspects the German motive for their heavy water order. He tries to warn Hydro who ends up shipping the heavy water to France under dramatic circumstances. An elaborate decoy plan was initiated. The plane believed to have valuable cargo on board was forced down over Hamburg by German fighter planes. But in April 1940 Germany invades Norway and orders a doubling of the heavy water production. Tronstad escapes to England to warn the Allies about what he believes is an effort to build a German atom bomb.

EPISODE 2 Leif Tronstad establishes contact with the War Ministry and a plan to destroy the Hydro facilities at Rjukan is drawn up. A small team code named ‘Grouse’ will parachute over Norway to prepare for British commandos who will arrive in gliders. Tronstad hand-picks Knut Haukelid as the leader of ‘Grouse’. Haukelid is a daring man with no respect for authority. But just before departure Haukelid ends up in a self-inflicted accidental shooting and Claus Helberg, an indefatigable worker hailing from Rjukan now heads the mission.

Heisenberg travels to Copenhagen to meet his Danish mentor professor Niels Bohr – also a Nobel Prize winner. Bohr implores him to stop working at the bomb. Heisenberg fails to understand why. He dives back into his work on the bomb. In Rjukan, the new managing director Erik Henriksen is confronted with sabotage of the heavy water production. He fires an innocent employee as a warning to others. Operation ‘Freshman’ takes off with 34 British commando soldiers, but over the Norwegian mountains they fly into a snowstorm.

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EPISODES As scripted. The edited episodes may vary in content.

EPISODE 3 ‘Freshman’s’ two glider planes crash violently into the Norwegian mountains. It is revealed that their target was Rjukan.

Without Erik Henriksen’s approval the Germans heighten security to maximum level at Rjukan. The Americans insists on bombing the factory.

Leif Tronstad feels this will be futile and persuades the Allies to send in a team of Norwegians. They will break into the factory and blow it up from inside. He selects five men for this ‘Gunnerside’ mission and now Knut Haukelid is in command. The plan is to join up with ‘Grouse’ who has remained hiding in the mountains.

In Germany Werner Heisenberg tries to hoist uranium plates into heavy water. The temperature rises violently and he just manages to escape before the laboratory explodes. Heisenberg argues with his superior that the fire was a breakthrough – but to no avail. Heisenberg has now become obsessed. He delivers a speech where he promises a bomb no larger than a pineapple that will destroy London. At the same time ‘Gunnerside’ takes off from Scotland heading for Norway.

EPISODE 4 ‘Gunnerside’ fail to locate their drop-point and the pilots insist on turning back. But Knut Haukelid claims to know where they are and they parachute out over the snow-covered mountains. Far from their drop point they start looking for the ‘Grouse’ team, and after strenuous days they finally join up.

Werner Heisenberg is now back in favour with the military and is appointed director of the Keiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin. He is promised unlimited support. ‘Gunnerside’ abandon the original plan to shoot their way across the bridge and into the heavy water factory. Instead they will try to climb the deep gorge under the bridge. It is considered impossible and therefore not protected by the Germans. They succeed in blowing up the factory and Claus Helberg stays behind to continue observing the factory. The Germans mount a major search for the saboteurs, and order an immediate rebuilding of the heavy water facilities!

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EPISODES As scripted. The edited episodes may vary in content.

EPISODE 5 Claus Helberg is caught by the Germans. He manages to escape, but is badly wounded. Still, he succeeds in getting back to England.

Werner Heisenberg is assigned to continue his work without heavy water, but explains that no heavy water means no bomb.

Erik Henriksen refuses to give priority to the rebuilding and increase the delivery of heavy water and is immediately arrested. Learning that the Germans are rebuilding the factory, the Americans decide to bomb it against Tronstad’s advice. 150 B-25 bombers are sent on the mission, but the only result is heavy civilian casualties. The reconstructed heavy water facilities are undamaged.

The Germans now want to move the entire production to Germany, and the Allies decide to strike at the weakest link on the route: the unavoidable ferry across the deep lake next to the factory.

EPISODE 6 The Allies order Knut Haukelid and two more remainders from ‘Gunnerside’ to sink the ferry with the heavy water facilities mid-way across the lake from Rjukan.

Werner Heisenberg, knowing that the heavy water is on its way, claims to need only 500 additional litres to succeed with the atom bomb. He gets drunk with his superior Kurt Diebner who shows him secret documents about radiation effects leaving him scared and full of despair.

Explosives are placed below deck Saturday night and Sunday morning the explosion goes off as passengers, crew and German soldiers desperately try to save themselves in the ice-cold water.

The ferry goes down with every drum of heavy water. Despite the loss of 20 lives, the operation is defined a success by the Allies.

They now consider “the heavy water issue” closed.

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NOTES FROM THE DIRECTOR

The Allies’ attempt to destroy the heavy water plant at Rjukan during World War II is one of the most iconic sabotage operations in history.

Several movies have been made about the mission, many biographies have been written about the saboteurs, and historians have elaborated on the events leading up to the mission, its execution, and consequences.

The combination of high risk, action, and intense political intrigue, the Allies’ fear of Germany developing the atom bomb, and the successful sabotage – are all ingredients that make for an exciting action thriller.

However, even though The Heavy Water War is a true story that surpasses all imagination in relation to the drama, courage and intensity, there is another aspect of this tale that touches me.

That is the history behind the sabotage missions.

The story of the risk of human lives.

It is a story that raises both moral and ethical questions.

Per-Olav Sørensen

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P E R - O L AV S Ø R E N S E N DIRECTOR

The director, writer and producer Per-Olav Sørensen has a long career within feature films, TV and the theatre.

He has directed TV series such as award-winning The Half Brother (2013), Six Like Us (2004, Seks som oss) and The Honey Trap (2008, NRK, Honningfellen), and the feature People in the Sun (2011).

Several of his theatre productions have become international successes (TanGhost and Come! (KOM!)) and have toured around the world.

Sørensen is the only Norwegian director to have won or been nominated for all the most prestigious Norwegian awards; The Amanda Award (the Norwegian equivalent of the Oscar), The Hedda Award (A Norwegian theatre award), The Comedy Award (Komiprisen Norwegian Comedy Award), and The Golden Frame (the Norwegian equivalent of the Emmy).

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MAIN CAST Espen Klouman-Høiner Leif Tronstad

Espen Klouman-Høiner was born in 1981.

He is an actor known for his work on Just Bea (2004), Reprise (2006) and Must Have Been Love (2012).

Christoph Bach

Werner Heisenberg Christoph Bach was born in 1975.

He is an actor, known for Detroit (2003), Cat in a Bag ( 2005, Katze im Sack) and 15 Minutes of Truth (2007, 15 Minuten Wahrheit).

Anna Friel

Captain Julie Smith Anna Friel was born in 1976 in Rochdale, Lancashire, England. She is an actress, known for Land of the Lost (2009), London Boulevard (2010) and Limitless (2011).

Pip Torrens

Colonel Wilson Pip Torrens was born in 1960 in Bromley, Kent, England. He is an actor, known for Pride & Prejudice (2005), Dorian Gray (2009) and My Week with Marilyn (2011).

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MAIN CAST Dennis Storhøi

Erik Henriksen, Managing Director, Norsk Hydro’s Factory Rjukan Dennis Storhøi was born in 1960 in Fredrikstad, Norway. He is an actor, known for Stork Staring Mad (1994), The 13th Warrior (1999) and Six Like Us (2004, Seks som oss).

David Zimmerschied

Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker Actor David Zimmerschied was born in 1983.

He is known for The Beheaded Rooster (2007), and The Alchemist’s Book (2008), The Police Officer’s Wife ( 2013).

Søren Pilmark Niels Bohr

Søren Pilmark was born in 1955 in Denmark.

He is an actor and writer, known for Flickering Lights (2000), King’s Game (2004) and How to Get Rid of Others (2007).

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PRODUCTION TEAM

Filmkameratene AS, Production company Filmkameratene AS is one of Norway’s longest running production companies. The company has, on average, produced one feature film per year for the past 25 years. All their films have been very successful, and many of them have sold several hundred thousand tickets.

Filmkameratene has an impressive track record for breaking barriers, such as; the first Norwegian movie in an indigenous language – Sami; the first Norwegian movie shown in 70mm format; the first Norwegian full-length animation feature; the first Norwegian co-production with a Hollywood studio; and the first Norwegian movie that made extensive use of CGI. The company also produced the Norwegian movie with the record for most national and international awards (Only Clouds Move the Stars, 1998), and has been nominated both for an Oscar (Pathfinder, 1987) and an Emmy (Elias, 2005).

One of the later productions, Max Manus, made its mark in film history with almost 1.2 million tickets sold in Norway. Another production, Troll Hunter, has been a huge hit both in Norway and internationally.

What characterizes Filmkameratene is that we know how to sell our movies. This is due in part to John M. Jacobsen’s almost 50 years of experience in the business, not only of production, but also of distribution and cinema.

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PRODUCTION TEAM

Petter S. Rosenlund, Scriptwriter Petter S. Rosenlund is a journalist and playwright, and has written numerous full-length scripts for theatre, television and film. His previous works include Varg Veum – The Consorts of Death (2011), Codename Hunter (2007) and Time for Tim (2002). Rosenlund has received the Ibsen Award, the Amanda Award (the Norwegian equivalent of the Oscar), and Ark’s Children’s Book Award.

John M. Jacobsen, Producer John M. Jacobsen started working in the film industry in 1959.

In 1988, he established the Norwegian branch of Svensk Filmindustri and in 1996, Jacobsen left to focus more on production, and has produced over 20 feature films since 1983, including Max Manus (2008) – the biggest Norwegian box office success of the past 30 years and Elias – The Little Rescue Boat (2005-2009) – nominated for an International Emmy.

John M. Jacobsen was appointed Commander of the Order of St. Olav

by King Harald for his contribution to the Norwegian film industry and has received several awards such as an Honorary Amanda, an Åmot Award (the film industry’s honorary award) and a Lifetime Achievement Award from CIFEJ (Centre international du film pour l’enfance et la jeunesse).

Previously, Jacobsen was also Chairman of the Norwegian Film and TV producers’ organization for 15 years.

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P R O D U CT IO N FACTS Preliminary credits. Not contractual.

Production team Directed by: Per-Olav Sørensen Screenplay by: Petter Rosenlund Executive producers: John M. Jacobsen, Sveinung Golimo, Marcus Brodersen, Morten Fisker, Stewart Mackinnon, Tone Rønning Producers: Roy Anderson, Kari Moen Kristiansen Director of Photography: John Christian Rosenlund Production Design: Kalli Júlíusson Costume Design: Karen Gram Make-up Design: Eva von Bahr Edited by: Perry Eriksen, Martin Stoltz, Silje Nordseth Sound Design: Kristian Eidenes Andersen Music by: Kristian Eidenes Andersen Stills Photographers: Jiri Hanzl, Robert Dreier Holand Produced by: Filmkameratene AS, Sebasto Film & TV Aps, Headline Pictures Ltd., The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation Supported by: The Norwegian Film Institute, Nordic Film- and TV fund, the MEDIA Programme of the European Union International Sales: AB Svensk Filmindustri

Facts Genre: Drama Country: Norway Language: Norwegian, German, English First Release: Winter 2014/2015 Duration: 6x45 min Format: 16:9 HD Sound: 5.1 Surround

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P R O D U CT IO N FACTS Preliminary credits. Not contractual.

Cast Leif Tronstad: Espen Klouman-Høiner Werner Heisenberg: Christoph Bach Captain Julie Smith: Anna Friel Colonel Wilson: Pip Torrens Erik Henriksen: Dennis Storhøi Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker: David Zimmerschied Niels Bohr: Søren Pilmark Axel Aubert, CEO, Norsk Hydro: Stein Winge Claus Helberg: Christian Rubeck Joachim Rønnerberg: Tobias Santelmann Knut Haukelid: Frank Kjosås Fredrik Kayser: Mads Sjøgård Pettersen Kasper Idland: Eirik Evjen Birger Strømsheim: Ole Christoffer Ertvaag Knut Haugland: Audun Sandem Knut Storhaug: Endre Ellefsen Jens A Poulsson: Benjamin Helstad Arne Kjelstrup: Torstein Bjørklund Einar Skinnarland: Rolf Kristian Larsen

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Credits not contractual.

Svensk Filmindustri is Scandinavia’s largest film company operating in every major Scandinavian territory.

A market leader for more than 90 years, Svensk Filmindustri is active in all facets of the industry i.e. production, exhibition, theatrical distribution, home video distribution, television distribution and multimedia distribution.

Svensk Filmindustri is a subsidiary of the Bonnier Group the major media company in the Nordic region.

International Sales: AB Svensk Filmindustri SE-169 86 Stockholm, Sweden Phone: +46 8 680 35 00 / Fax: + 46 8 710 44 60 international@sf.se / www.sfinternational.se

FILMKAMERATENE