''Baltic Storm'' is a 2003 film written and directed by
Reuben Leder about the 1994
MS ''Estonia'' disaster.
Based on the book ''Die Estonia: Tragödie eines Schiffsuntergangs'' by German journalist
Jutta Rabe, the film focuses on the supposed transport of defense materials by the
Swedish Armed Forces
The Swedish Armed Forces (, literally ''Defence Force'') are the Military, armed forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. It consists of four separate military branches, the Swedish Army, the Swedish Navy, the Swedish Air Force and the Home Guard (Swed ...
, and alleged
cover-up
A cover-up is an attempt, whether successful or not, to conceal evidence of wrongdoing, error, incompetence, or other embarrassing information. Research has distinguished personal cover-ups (covering up one's own misdeeds) from relational co ...
of the true cause of the disaster.
Plot
The plot portrays the Swedish government as being responsible for using the ship to covertly transport Russian high-tech components to the United States. The story is uncovered by a young female journalist, not unlike Rabe herself. According to Rabe, divers hired by the Swedish government (signing contracts swearing lifetime secrecy) spent hours breaking into cabins frantically searching for a black attaché case carried by a Russian space technology dealer, Aleksandr Voronin (who died 2002). She highlighted US interest in various Soviet technology, including nuclear-powered satellites. She also suggested that panic about the stability of some form of nuclear device is the most likely reason behind the initial Swedish government suggestion of burying the wreck in concrete, a highly unusual proposal for a wreck, reminiscent of
Chernobyl
Chernobyl, officially called Chornobyl, is a partially abandoned city in Vyshhorod Raion, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. It is located within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, to the north of Kyiv and to the southwest of Gomel in neighbouring Belarus. ...
's
sarcophagus
A sarcophagus (: sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a coffin, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek language, Greek wikt:σάρξ, σάρξ ...
.
Cast
See also
*
''Estonia'' (TV series)
References
External links
*
British thriller films
German thriller films
English-language German films
2003 films
Films set in Estonia
MS Estonia
Films based on non-fiction books
Films set in 1994
2003 thriller films
Films set in the Baltic Sea
Films about maritime incidents
2000s English-language films
2000s British films
2000s German films
English-language thriller films
Buena Vista International films
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