Whatcha gunnar do if your country is invaded?
For Gunnar Sønsteby, in 1940 when the Nazi’s invaded Norway, he knew what. Resist.
As the German war machine invaded Norway, and Gunnar, a 23 year old accountant immediately offered his services to the resistance and was assigned the code name Number 24
This skinny, modest, unassuming man that with the accuracy and meticulousness of an accountant and the audacity and bravery of a real hero gave the Gestapo years of relentless, tough resistance in the Norwegian capital.
Blowing up German arms production in Norway. Destroying enemy infrastructure. Hindering the forced deployment of young Norwegians into the German army. And through meticulous planning, a network of alias abodes, abstinence of sex and alcohol, always escaping the Gestapo’s intense hunt for him.
Entering darker, more difficult territory, Gunnar was given a license to kill, tasked to assassinate fellow Norwegians collaborating with the enemy.
Directed by John Andreas Andersen, NUMBER 24 begins with the 80 year old Gunnar, addressing a group of high school students about the importance of peace, democracy and freedom, fielding their questions on his personal participation and exploring the morality of wartime and the weight of responsibility in the fight for freedom.
For this accountant turned action man, to balance the books against barbarism, one has to debit doubt to credit killing and offset the risk of reprisal with a higher futures gain.
The story of Number 24 has never been more relevant. Just as the world today once again is reminded that peace cannot be taken for granted, the importance of standing up against an aggressor is more urgent than ever.
NUMBER 24 is a number one reason to attend the THE 2025 HURTIGRUTEN SCANDINAVIAN FILM FESTIVAL .
For more information, visit scandinavianfilmfestival.com and follow @ScandiFilmFest on Instagram[MS1]/Facebook
