Land of Mine (2016) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

After WWII ended in May 1945, Denmark was left with thousands of German mines buried along its western coast. The Danish authorities used German POWs to clear these mines, giving them a quota of six mines per hour each to defuse a total of 45,000 mines. The promise was that if they met their quota within three months, they would be allowed to return home.

• german pows
• landmines
• denmark
• ww2
• post-war

Rasmussen initially maintained a stern, brutal demeanor toward the prisoners as a form of vengeance for Denmark's occupation during WWII. He reflected the bitter sentiment many Danes held toward Germans after years of occupation. His harsh treatment also stemmed from the trauma of war and his own emotional wounds, which he projected onto the prisoners.

Foreshadowing: Rasmussen's anger resurfaces notably after his dog dies in the minefield, showing how his grief quickly translates to cruelty toward the boys.

• rasmussen
• german prisoners
• danish sergeant
• violence
• ww2
• occupation

Ernst could not survive the grief of losing his twin brother Werner, who was killed in a landmine explosion earlier in the film. After Werner died, Ernst was already emotionally shattered. When he and Sebastian successfully rescued the local girl from the minefield, Ernst felt he had nothing left to live for and walked into an uncleared area, taking his own life.

Foreshadowing: Werner's death directly triggers Ernst's emotional breakdown, as the twins shared an unbreakable bond throughout their captivity.

• ernst
• werner
• suicide
• twins
• death
• grief

One of the boys carelessly threw an improperly defused mine onto the truck with other unexploded devices. The mine detonated upon impact, causing a catastrophic explosion that killed multiple survivors. This tragic accident resulted from the boys being exhausted, traumatized, and working under immense pressure to complete their dangerous task.

• explosion
• truck
• death
• mines
• accident

Rasmussen underwent a significant transformation after witnessing Ernst sacrifice himself to save the little girl and then take his own life. This act of altruism from the boys profoundly impacted him, breaking through his walls of vengeance. He came to see them as victims of the war rather than enemies. When he learned Captain Jensen planned to send the survivors to another deadly minefield, Rasmussen chose to smuggle them to the German border, giving them a chance at freedom.

Foreshadowing: Ernst's suicide marks the turning point where Rasmussen's treatment visibly softens and he begins protecting the boys.

• rasmussen
• escape
• freedom
• jensen
• redemption

Wilhelm suffered a catastrophic accident while attempting to disarm a landmine. The mine exploded and severed both of his arms. He was taken to a field hospital where he eventually succumbed to his injuries, becoming one of the first casualties among the group of prisoners.

• wilhelm
• arms
• injury
• hospital
• death

Rasmussen's dog wandered into an area marked as cleared and was killed by a landmine. This loss reignited his grief and anger, causing him to revert to his harsh treatment of the boys. He forced them on dangerous marches to verify the beach safety, disregarding their lives and pushing them even harder.

• dog
• death
• rasmussen
• anger
• minefield

The boys were suffering from severe malnutrition due to post-war food shortages. In desperation, they searched a nearby farm and found grain that was contaminated with rat feces. After eating it, they became severely ill. Rasmussen forced them to drink seawater to purge themselves, which only worsened their suffering.

• sickness
• grain
• malnutrition
• starvation
• contaminated

Despite being promised freedom upon completing their mission, Captain Jensen planned to send the surviving boys to another dangerous mine-clearing area. The Danish authorities had no intention of honoring the original agreement. This betrayal motivated Rasmussen to take matters into his own hands and smuggle the remaining boys to the German border himself.

• freedom
• jensen
• promise
• betrayal
• mines cleared

Ernst befriended a local girl purely out of desperation for food. The boys were suffering from severe malnutrition, and Ernst used the friendship as a way to steal bread from the girl or her family. It was a survival tactic rather than a genuine connection, though it highlighted the dire circumstances the prisoners faced.

• ernst
• girl
• bread
• stealing
• survival
• hunger

Despite his harsh exterior, Rasmussen began stealing provisions from his own supplies to give to the boys. This secret kindness was motivated by his growing recognition that the boys were starving and that the conditions were inhumane. His compassion developed gradually throughout their captivity, though he kept it hidden from his superiors.

• rasmussen
• food
• secret
• kindness
• provisions

Captain Jensen brought British troops to further intimidate and psychologically torment the German prisoners. When Jensen learned that Rasmussen was showing sympathy toward the boys by providing extra food, he wanted to demonstrate the consequences of being kind to the enemy. The British troops physically abused the boys while Rasmussen tried to protect them.

• british troops
• jensen
• intimidation
• abuse
• prisoners