22/11/2012 - In Bergen, Norwegian director Petter Næss is preparing a feature adaptation of Norwegian author Helle Aarnes' Tyskerjentene, while rehearsing UK playwright Rebecca Lenkiewicz's family drama

Norwegian director Petter Næss, whose latest film Into the White [+see also:
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Originally to be produced by Zentropa International Norway, which also backed Into the White, it will now be packaged by Maipo Film & TV Produksjon, confirmed Ann-Kristin Lian, adding that the project is still at an early stage. The company is currently in production with Rasmus A. Sivertsen's fully-animated Solan and Ludvig: Christmas in Pinchcliffe and Anne Sewitsky's biopic of figure skater-turned-Hollywood actress Sonja Henie.

Norwegian author Axel Hellstenius, who scripted Næss's Elling films (also produced by Maipo), will deliver the screenplay from Aarnes' portraits of Norwegian girls who were sleeping with the enemy (German soldiers) and had their children, who were harassed both by fellow countrymen and the authorities after the war.

"The stories we weren't told," said Aarnes of her book, which depicts what happened to some of the 50,000-100,000 Norwegian girls with German boyfriends - Elsa who was interned, then deported to Germany, Gudrun who was lobotomised, Therese who had to give away her daughter.

Næss is currently in Bergen rehearsing UK playwright Rebecca Lenkiewicz's prize-winning family drama The Night Season, first staged at London's National Theatre in 2004, now being readied for its Norwegian premiere on January 3 at Den Nationale Scene. While still working in cinema, Næss intends to direct for the stage every second year.