In 2023 the Norwegian television series Makta (Power Play) (Johan Fasting et al 2023-2024) became a critical success for NRK (Norwegian Broadcast Corporation) with its playful take on the power struggle in the Norwegian Labor Party in the late 1970s and early 1980s. With the series’ slogan “Based on truth, lies and bad memory” (“basert på sannhet løgn og dårlig hukommelse”), the creators indicate that they don’t take fictional representations of history too seriously. However, there are some exceptions to this – the devastating Alexander Kielland accident being one incident that is treated with respect and seriousness.
In March 1980 the drilling rig capsized at the Ekofisk oil field, leaving 123 workers dead. True to tradition when it comes to audiovisual historical fiction, Makta intergrates factual footage of the incident in the fictional universe, however this is done in ways that transgress conventions. For instance, in one episode the fictional prime minister Oddvar Nordli (Anders Baasmo) watches the factual prime minister Nordli’s press conference about the accident on television.
In this talk, Professor Anne Gjelsvik will discuss the emotional impact of the blurred translation of the actual incident into the realm of playful criticism of men in power, as well as the blurring of the line between the political and the private.
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