“A
Norwegian-Swedish actress and
singer tries to get on with her life
and her burgeoning career while
avoiding involvement with the Second
World War during Norway’s occupation
in 1941; but when her father is arrested
by the Germans and she is approached
by Swedish Security to spy for them
she can no longer ignore events in The Spy, a thrilling and intriguing World
War II drama based on true life...”
FETED WHEREVER SHE APPEARS, Norwegian-Swedish singer and actress Sonja Wigert
(Ingrid Bolsø Berdal) is beautiful, talented, multi-lingual and on track to
become a star. When war breaks out and Norway is occupied by the Germans, she
chooses to immerse herself in her career and not become involved.
Her happiness, though, is short-lived when she discovers her husband, Swedish
playright Torsten Flodén (Albin Grenholm), in bed with another woman and throws
him out. Furthermore, her manager, Leif Sinding (Anders T Andersen) is trying
to broker a deal to get Sonja the lead part in a German-backed film, Keilland's
Else.
“Entertaining
and absorbing,
The Spy is well-paced
and exciting while
also serving as
a fascinating
piece of
World War II
history...”
Leif
arranges for her to attend a dinner at Skaugum, the former residence of the
Crown Prince, hosted by Reichskommissar Josef Terboven (Alexander Scheer) and
with Joseph Goebbles (Stefan Sattler) as guest of honour. Following an altercation
with a German soldier on a train, Sonja tears up the invitation.
Sonja goes to see her mother Carmen (Ingrid Vollan) and her father Sigvald (Eric
Hivsu) and Sigvald denounces Leif as a traitor, but although Sonja is concerned
about being seen as a Nazi sympathiser, she feels she owes him her career.
Following the murder of one of his own spies, Lieutenant Thorsten Akrell (Rolf
Lassgård) of The Swedish Security Service approaches Sonja to persuade her to
get close to Terboven to act as an informer and to discover the identity of
a German spy known as "Maria".
At first she refuses but when her father, who is not in good health, is arrested
she strikes a deal with Akrell to keep her family safe. Akrell convinces Sonja
that if she gets close to Terboven he will free her father because they want
Sonja, a star, for their propaganda machine.
At an embassy function Baron Bernd von Gossler (Johan Widerberg), who is known
to Sonja, introduces her to Andor Gellert (Damien Chapelle) an attaché at the
Hungarian Embassy, with whom she will fall in love.
Sonja also meets high ranking Germans, including Herr Hartmann (Thomas Arnold),
who will bring her closer to Terboven. Soon she is Terboven's lover, while actively
working for Akrell and facing constant danger.
Then Terboven asks her to spy for him…
The Spy is a Second World War thriller that reflects the life of a star
who is reluctantly drawn into the murky world of espionage. Entertaining and
absorbing, the film is well-paced and exciting while also serving as a fascinating
piece of history.
The Spy also features: Auguste Finke (Fredrik Lycke); Edvin Endre as
Patrik Olsson; Gitte Witt as Vipsen; Karin Lithman as Hanna; Cécile Delberghe
as Miss C; Rolf Lassgard as Thor A; Jens Jonsson as Regi; Jacob Diehl as Heinrich
Fehlis; Claes Ljungmark as Carl Petersen; Julius Feldmeier as Wilhelm Muller-Scheld;
Rebecca Caneld as Laura Johnsson; Johannes Kuhnke as Karl Gerhard; Sjur Vatne
Brean as Rudolf; and Jesper Malm as Henry Gleditsch.
Music is by Raf Keunen; Director of Photography is Anton Mertens; Writing Credits:
Harald Rosenløw EEG and Jan Trygve Røyneland; Producers are: Catho Bach Christensen,
Karin Julsrud, Tund Øversveen andHåkon Overås; and Directed by Jens Jonsson.
*The Spy is released by Signature
Entertainment in the UK on DVD and Digital HD on 29 June 2020. Certificate:
12 | Running Time: 105 Minutes.
"The Spy… Entertaining and absorbing, the film is well-paced and exciting
while also serving as a fascinating piece of history" —****
Maggie Woods, MotorBar
“A
Norwegian-Swedish actress and