Synopsis

438 Days is based on the real-life deeds of journalists Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson, who crossed the war-stricken border between Somalia and Ethiopia to investigate the truth behind the Western hunt for oil and how it affects the population in the region. But it's only when they are shot, arrested and thrown into an Ethiopian jail, after a show trial in which they are convicted on terrorism charges, that they find their real "story". Faced with a nightmarish reality when their hunt for truth turns into an international political game of life and death, 438 Days depicts a fight for survival where friendship becomes the most important weapon against tyranny, and press freedom manifests itself as the shining light in a world of lies.