Norsk filminstitutt

 Unwanted from birth for the sins of their fathers 

War is hell, but for the children of the occupier and the occupied, hell truly begins when peace comes - and it lasts a lifetime. With captivating narration, Liv Ullmann leads us through the lifelong struggles of five children born of the Second World War. 'Wars Don't End' shines light on valuable lessons from the past, equally relevant now as they will be in the foreseeable future.   

In the wake of the Second World War, thousands of children were born to German soldiers and mothers from occupied territories. Many of these innocent children stood without sorely needed protection and were treated as fair game. 70 years later, the Norwegian war children break the silence and share their soul-stirring stories. In their moving testimonies, they reflect upon the abuse they endured for being the carriers of the “Nazi genes” and the systematic discrimination they faced, being shunned by their communities and their government alike. As living witnesses still enduring abuse, they speak of their deep desire to make a positive difference and protect the future of children born of war today. 

Production and distribution

Production Year:
2018
Production country:
Norway
Co production country:
Norway
Release date (national):
2018-09-28
Production company:
UpNorth Film AS
Co production company:
Teknopilot AS
Financing company:
NRK
Fritt Ord Foundation
Norsk kulturråd
Norwegian Film Institute
Producer:
Christian Aune Falch
Torstein Parelius
Line producer:
Haakon Ø. Wuttudal
Co producer:
Elin Festøy
Sales agent:
Limonero Films

Director

  • Dheeraj Akolkar

    Dheeraj Akolkar is an award-winning writer, director and producer, and the founder of Vardo Films in London, UK, with experience of 15 years and a current slate of 3 fiction and 2 non-fiction films in various stages of development and production. His work has received acclaim all over the world.  Dheeraj is one of the co-founders of a charity – The Global Reconciliation, Advocacy and Community-building Engagement (GRACE) in war-affected regions – based in the UK and working internationally in several post-conflict societies of the world.  

    Filmography:

     Jyotirgamaya: Lead Me to the Light (2005)  Whatever! (2006)  Liv & Ingmar (2012) Let the Scream Be Heard (2013) Wars Don’t End (2018) Happiness (2019)  The Wound Is Where the Light Enters (2022)  Liv Ullmann – A Road Less Travelled (2023) The Other Side of Silence (2025) – (In Production)  

    Dheeraj Akolkar

Cast

Narrator:
Liv Ullmann

Awards

2019:
Nordic Film Days Lübeck
Honorable Mention

Festivals

2018:
BIFF - Bergen International Film Festival
2018:
Movies on War
2019:
Thessaloniki International Documentary Film Festival
2019:
Kosmorama Trondheim International Film Festival
2019:
The Norwegian Documentary Film Festival
2019:
Nordic Film Days Lübeck
2020:
Peloponnisos International Documentary Festival
2020:
Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films
2020:
Scandinavian Film Festival Bonn

Crew

Director:
Dheeraj Akolkar
Screenplay:
Dheeraj Akolkar
Cinematographer:
Haakon Wettre
Torstein Nodland
Henrik Flatås
Haakon Ø. Wuttudal
Editor:
Tushar Ghogale
Composer:
Stefan Nilsson
Sound Design:
Svenn Jakobsen
Animator:
Victoria Pelejero
Narrator:
Liv Ullmann

Technical information

Format:
DCP 2k
Screen ratio:
16:9
Sound format:
Stereo 5.1
Length in min's:
63'
Language:
Norwegian
Subtitles:
English

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