Per-Olav Sørensen
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WITH A NUCLEAR WEAPON HITLER WOULD HAVE WON THE WAR DIRECTED BY PER-OLAV SØRENSEN TV SERIES 6x45 MIN 2 THE HEAVY WATER WAR 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. 3 4 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 circum- stances. 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. 5 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! 6 7 8 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. 9 NOTE S 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 10 PER-OLAV SØRENSEN 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, Honning- fellen), 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). 11 12 13 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). 14 MAIN CAST Dennis Storhøi Erik Henriksen, Managing Director, Norsk Hydro’s Factory Rjukan Dennis Storhøi was born in 1960 in Fredrikstad, Norway.