Produced by
FiLM iNK Productions
Executive Producers
Eirik Knutsvik & David Padbury
Written and Edited by
Eirik Knutsvik & Terry Hall
A FiLM iNK Production
Drama / War (WW2)
Based on the true stories of border guides during WW2
Aksel is a young boy with a destiny, growing up with his widowed mother in the idyll of the Norwegian countryside. Helping his family on a remote farmstead, he’s a kind and loving spirit who understands our connection to all of life. But his personal ethics are turned upside down with the onset of war.
Challenged at such a young age to guide refugees across the border to neutral Sweden, he knows inherently
that it is his duty to help them, despite calls from his family and friends not to risk his life.
Filmed in “National Geographic” style cinematography, the panoramas and sweeping vistas of the Norwegian terrain lend to the beauty and emotional heart of the project.
The Border Guide is a dramatic story with focus on deep, realistic characters. The world changes around Aksel, and he's forced to change with it - but will he stray too far from his true self?
"Many heroes were honoured after the war, but those who
risked their lives every day by guiding people across the
border were quickly forgotten.
They were small-time farmers without any social status,
living in the hills of Norway. They were not present in
the cities during the liberation, and neither were they
lauded in the celebration of peace.
They neither marched, nor stood, nor thronged Oslo’s
streets as the King drove down them in his car. They went
back to their daily chores..."
"...yet they are true heroes of the wild, and should be
recognized as such!"
Confirmed Director and Cast
Director
British Director Niall Johnson has joined us for the journey across the mountains. He’s a highly respected director and award winning writer, who’s most recent film, Mum’s List (Emilia Fox, Elaine Cassidy, Rafe Spall), has been well received by the critics and public alike. His previous work include Keeping Mum (Rowan Atkinson, Maggie Smith, Kristin Scott Thomas) and White Noise (Michael Keaton, Chandra West).
Character: Aksel
Kevin Haugan is a young Norwegian actor who’s made his debut on stage and TV. He has recently worked on Snøfall, Reisen til Julestjernen and Jungelboken. He has become a well-known child actor in Scandinavia due to his recent success on stage as Billy Elliot, amongst many of his other roles.
Character: Buchner
Philippe Reinhardt is a Swiss born actor with a range of films under his belt, from Stalingrad (2013) to The Groom (2016), and I Am a Teacher (2016) to Strassenkaiser (2017).
Character: Sarko
Stefano Cassetti was born in 1974 in Brescia, Lombardy, Italy. He is known for films such as Roberto Succo (2001), Jeune & Jolie (2013) and Seven Acts of Mercy (2011).
Character: Magnus
Eirik Knutsvik is a Norwegian actor and writer currently residing in London. He's known for The Howling and The Academy.
Eirik is also the Writer and Executive Producer of The Border Guide. He's also working on a novel, and have recently published the novelette, A Knight's Heart.