Modern Norwegian Occupation Drama Films: The Heroes and the Villains

Abstrakt

The article focuses on modern Norwegian occupation drama films released between 2016
and 2023. It builds on a thematic phase division of the genre by film researcher Gunnar Iversen.
The author suggests that by the year 2019, Norwegian World War II films were entering a new
phase that focussed on alternative storytelling represented by women, children, sailors or
Jews. In spite of this, however, the traditional master narrative of hero stories was maintained.
Moreover, contemporary debate about the genre’s development, its representation in literature
and in other European countries is discussed.