NARVIK: HITLER’S FIRST DEFEAT

Directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg
(Nordisk Film Productions)

I was the Production Visual Effects Supervisor on “Narvik: Hitler’s First Defeat” (aka Kampen om Narvik), directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg. I managed and supervised on-set and in post, all the digital visual effects, made by studios Varg Studios, Gimpville, Storm Studios, Stardust Effects and Storyline. Set in 1940 the CG work spanned from re-creating the city of Narvik the way it looked at the time (before it was destroyed), warships, matte paintings and enhancing the battle scenes.

“Narvik: Hitler’s First Defeat” is based on real WWII events, as seen through the eyes of the soldier Gunnar Tofte and his wife Ingrid. The movie was supposed to premiere in December 2020 but was delayed due to covid, with a new premiere set in March 2022. But yet again pushed due to the war in Ukraine. The movie finally opened in December 2022 in Norway and is now available worldwide streaming on Neflix. A VFX breakdown reel will be available at a later stage. The movie received the Amanda Award (Norwegian Academy Awards) in 2023 for Best Visual Effects

NARVIK: HITLER’S FIRST DEFEAT - NORWEGIAN TRAILER

April 1940. The dawning war in Europe seems distant to the Norwegians, but the eyes of the world are already on Narvik who ships out the iron ore Hitler depends on to keep the German war machinery going. On the night of April 9, Norway's neutrality is violated and German soldiers go ashore. The city commander surrenders Narvik without a fight, but not everyone is willing to lay down their arms. A company of 200 armed Norwegian soldiers manages to bluff out of the city and take up the fight. Among the soldiers we find the young corporal Gunnar Tofte, who gets his baptism of fire in battle against the professional, German alpine hunters in the mountains. In Narvik, the Royal Hotel, where his wife Ingrid Tofte works as a maid and interpreter, will be the Germans' new headquarters. From the trench it is easy to know who is friend and who is enemy. From the civilian point of view, the picture is more complicated. Copyright © 2021 Nordisk Film Productions. All rights reserved.