Advertisement

TV series to tell story of Scandinavian Star disaster

Ritzau/The Local
Ritzau/The Local - [email protected]
TV series to tell story of Scandinavian Star disaster
A file photo showing the Scandinavian Star ferry on April 8th 1990. Photo: Peter Dejong/AP Photo/Ritzau Scanpix

A six-episode series about the 1990 Scandinavian Star ferry disaster will be produced, in a collaboration between Nordisk Film and Danish Documentary, it was announced in a press statement on Friday.

Advertisement

The series will tell the story of the ferry accident as the focus of a Scandinavian modern history spanning three decades.

It is expected to be broadcasted by state broadcasters DR, NRK and SVT in the three Scandinavian countries - Denmark, Norway and Sweden respectively - in 2020.

That year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the disaster, which occurred on the night of April 7th, 1990.

159 people of the ferry's 383 passengers and 99 crew died after a fire broke out on the ship, which was en route from Oslo to Frederikshavn.

Many of the passengers were on their way from Norway to Denmark for the Easter holidays.

Information later emerged revealing sub-standard safety aboard the ship and that the fire had been set deliberately.

The case remains unsolved today.

The television series will shed light on the incident, with producers describing it as 'Scandinavia's biggest murder mystery'.

Personal stories of survivors and families of the victims will be an important element of the series, as will attempts by authorities to investigate the case, political intrigue and three decades of speculation over passengers, crew, and the ship's owners and insurers.

Politiken journalist Lars Halskov, who wrote the well-received book Branden - Gåden om Scandinavian Star (Fire: the Scandinavian Star Mystery) has been brought in to work on the series, as have documentary director Mikala Krogh and script writer Nikolaj Scherfig, known for his work on popular crime series The Bridge.

READ ALSO: Scandinavian Star inspector: 'I remember clearly'

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also