Krigsseileren (2022)

Norwegian shortlisted film for the Oscars, which in its international release on Netflix was divided into three parts and presented as a miniseries.

It is a moving work that reflects the sacrifice of those who are often invisible in wartime conflicts throughout history.

The story follows Alfred Garnes, a working-class sailor who is married and the father of three young children, and strives to provide the best he can for them.

His most recent job takes him to a ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, but he is soon caught up in the outbreak of World War II, making it difficult for him to return home.

Fortunately, Alfred is not alone; his best friend, Sigbjørn Kvalen, also works with him on the same ship, and together they set out to find a way to survive and return home.

Both men face great danger, as German U-boats are hunting ships, and they are simply unarmed workers suffering the consequences of a war they never asked for.

But they are not the only ones at risk; Alfred's wife Cecilia is also in a complicated situation, having to care for their three children alone and not knowing if she will ever see her husband again.

The relationships between the characters are deeply moving, especially at the end, where the silences between the two friends are deafening, despite the fact that no words are exchanged.

I highly recommend watching it to understand the brutality that so many innocent people faced due to the irrationality of war.

The performances are outstanding, sober and very professional, in a plot that combines personal and family drama with the absurdity of war and its aftermath of death and desolation.

The friendship between the protagonists is a leitmotif that endures through time and adversity.