Narvik is currently (Feb 2023) an enlightening top 10 movie on Netflix. It is about Narvik, its people, the fight for iron ore and the German occupation during WWII. Although I had visited and listened to the history, this movie put it all into perspective. Our menu of Narvik includes our films. Both now make sense. I was the cruise rep for the Ofoten Railway excursion and the film explains the importance of the bridge they blew up and the tunnels the locals tried to hide in. We looked at snow and wildlife and did not realise that the British were hiding in winter huts there being given information on the German group movements until they were caught.

I never realised that like Hamburg it was such an important feature of World War II and is considered to be the place of Hitler’s first defeat. The town was almost flattened in the process and the people certainly suffered and felt used. The film puts a totally different perspective on a visit to this Northern Norway Town.

It is set in April and May of 1940. Two months when the eyes of the world were on Narvik, a small town in northern Norway. Hiter’s war machinery swamped to take the town and control iron and shipping. Norway was neutral. Two months of fierce fighting destroyed the people and the town.