The film is based on the bestseller of the same name by Jon Michelet (1944 – 2018) and the title was the code name designating the Arctic region as a potential Cold War theatre. When three Norwegian adventurers discover a secret Soviet listening station in the icy expanses, they are forced to flee for their lives. It emerges that they have become unknowing participants in a political conspiracy that goes right up to their own government. The screenplay for “Orion’s Belt” was written by Briton Richard Harris, known for his thriller scripts for TV (including for “The Avengers”). It marked Norway’s entry into the international action movie sweepstakes and was honoured with three of the country’s 1985 Amanda film awards – for best film, best music, and acting.