Much has been covered regarding the world’s second war (AKA WW2), with the following gist: a number of countries, primarily the UK, Soviet Union and Poland, stood up to Hitler and his Nazi regime when they started throwing their murderous weight around, and with the considerable help of the US, defeated them.

Since then, the event has been retold numerous times on film, and still remains of popular interest.

And just when you think every aspect of it has been conveyed, this Swedish film pops up with a fascinating factual nugget regarding their involvement in the war.

In the basement of the Swedish foreign ministry building sits the legal department. Within its less than glamorous locale, with the building’s sewage pipes making themselves known, was the office of Gösta Engzell (Henrik Dorsin) and his team.

It was an office that wasn’t highly regarded, and was mostly overlooked in the grand scheme of things.

Sweden wasn’t keen in getting involved in the whole war thing, and wanted to remain somewhat neutral – which came at a price in offering their resources to Hitler when asked.

But when a case fell on the desk of Engzell, it brought up a case of Sweden citizenship, especially of those in German occupied countries, who also happened to be Jewish. Through a bureaucratic loophole, he and his team managed to allow them to return to Sweden safely, which was certainly fortuitous if the rumours of Hitler’s hate on Jews was to be believed.

But as the war went on, Engzell and his team believed that this was an opportunity to save even more lives, through this Swedish connection, but could they pull it off?

Most war films are told in a very dramatic fashion, which highlights the evils of war. This Swedish film however, has a charming light touch in telling its story, as a relative nobody in office stumbles upon a way of surviving lives.

It’s upbeat and comedic vibe also helps with the explanation of events, which could get very bland with all the paperwork and loopholes involved, but with Thérèse Ahlbeck and Marcus Olsson’s deftness direction, with a vibrant script the pair also wrote, keeps the film highly engaging.

The result is an amazing underdog tale, highlighting a truly remarkable story of clerical-inspired heroism, which certainly put Sweden’s neutrality into question, which saved a substantial number of lives in the process.