Fighters (2022)

Original title: Krigere

Restless teenager Mamo is heading for trouble with the wrong friends and difficulties at home when the somewhat older social worker Berat decides to help him avoid ending up in the same trouble he got into as a youngster. But some slates are hard to wipe clean, and Berat realises that even if his intentions are good, sometimes the past catches up with you. Everyone in ‘Fighters’ plays themselves in a hard-hitting story based on their own lives. It could have ended up as a well-meaning youth film for adults, but Jon Haukeland is an eminent character director who brings out a unique authenticity in his cast. ‘Fighters’ has been a massive success in Norwegian cinemas and shakes not only your notions of documentary and staging, but also any preconceptions you may have about young men like Mamo who, despite their obvious intelligence, risk ending up on the wrong side of the law. A celebration of friendship and adult role models.