Betrayed

Eirik Svensson's 2020 Norwegian film, adapted from Marte Michelet's book, tells the story of the Braude family in Oslo. Charles, a boxer, and his family believe they are safe in Norway when the German occupation begins; registration, marking and confiscation follow one another. Its most shattering quality is the slowness of the process: each step looks bearable on its own, and precisely for that reason nobody leaves in time. The film does not hide the Norwegian police's role in the round-up, a matter long left undiscussed in the country. The deportation on the ship Donau in November 1942 is its centre of gravity. The telling is classical and takes no formal risks. Who it's for: viewers interested in the history of the Second World War and Nordic drama. Who it's not for: anyone avoiding accounts of the Holocaust, or wanting formal innovation.