Nine Lives

Skouen's Oscar-nominated film, based on David Howarth's book We Die Alone, tells the story of Jan Baalsrud, the only survivor of a betrayed commando raid in Northern Norway who made a daring escape to Sweden. Baalsrud was wounded in the foot, suffered from frost bite and snow blindness, and nearly starved. He hid out in a snow cave for over a month and ended up lopping off his own toes to stop the gangrene spreading. With the help of doughty, Nazi-hating Norwegians he keeps ahead of his pursuers, swimming across fjords, clambering up mountains and skiing cross country. It's an extraordinary tale of courage and resilience. Ironically, the more extreme the conditions, the more beautiful the landscapes become. Skouen, an acclaimed journalist as well as a film-maker, treats his material in terse, phlegmatic fashion. The understatement here makes Scott of the Antarctic look like an exhibitionist.