The Heroes of Telemark

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The Heroes of Telemark
original movie poster
Directed by	Anthony Mann
Produced by	Benjamin Fisz
Written by	Ben Barzman Ivan Moffat
Starring	Kirk Douglas Richard Harris Ulla Jacobsson
Music by	Malcolm Arnold
Cinematography	Robert Krasker
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	1965
Running time	131 min
IMDb profile

The Heroes of Telemark is a 1965 war film based on the story of the Norwegian heavy water sabotage during World War II.

Norwegian resistance fighters sabotage the plant in Telemark, Norway, which the Nazis used to produce heavy water to make a nuclear bomb. Snowy Norwegian locations serve as a backdrop for the plot. Kirk Douglas plays the role of a Norwegian physics professor who, though originally content to wait out the war, is soon pulled into the struggle.

The movie bears only a cursory resemblance to the actual events. For instance, the sabotage on the plant itself was achieved without a shot being fired, unlike the gun battle portrayed in the film. The love story involving Douglas' character was also entirely invented. The film was not successful.

As a response to the inaccuracies of the film, Ray Mears made a documentary titled The Real Heroes of Telemark, sticking to the facts, partly dramatised, but focusing more on the survival skills involved in the operation.