by Thomas Vinterberg
Only the best men the Russian navy has to offer are allowed to participate in the K-141 Kursk submarine practice mission. Despite temporary separation from his pregnant wife, Tanya, and his child, Naval Officer Mikhail Kalekov takes on the honourable role of captain, and sets sail in August 2000 together with a crew of almost 120 men. When the nuclear-powered submarine begins to sink to the bottom of the ocean after two sudden explosions, a race against time begins for the surviving crew, which includes Kalekov. While the Russian government claims to have the situation under control, the seafarers' families are calling for an international rescue operation. Director Thomas Vinterberg’s tense, action-packed film about the submarine disaster lays its focus on the solidarity of crew and relatives – a tribute both to the victims and their families.