Fighters

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 hardhitting story based on their own lives It could have ended up as a wellmeaning 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