Norwegian Ninja

2011 • 80 minutes

About this movie

In 1984 high-ranking Norwegian diplomat Arne Treholt was tried and convicted of acting as a spy on behalf of the Soviet Union. But what if the courts got it wrong? What if the case against him was a sham? What if, dare we consider, Treholt was not a spy at all but a patriot of the highest order and the leader of a secret ninja force created by King Olva? A ninja force locked in a secret battle against all who would challenge Norwegian sovereignty? A fictionalized account of the most notorious political scandal in Norwegian history, Norwegian Ninja is a deliciously tongue-in-cheek spoof of the Cold War spy movie, with added ninja action. Because, as everyone knows, every story can be made better with ninjas. Blending historical events and actual newsreel footage of the Treholt affair with his own less-than-historical elements, writer-director Thomas Cappelan Malling creates the Rushmore of ninja films, a film that wryly questions just how truthful the truth really is. And then sends a ninja to punch the truth in the face.