Sons

An astonishing debut film by Norwegian director Erik Richter Strand, SONS is the story of one man's quest to stop a local pedophile. Lars, in his mid-20's, is a rather flaccid lifeguard at the indoor pool in working-class Oslo, where he's lived all his life. Though he's basically good-natured, it soon becomes clear that his temper gets him into trouble. When he recognizes a man at the pool talking to young teenage boys, Lars's life practically flashes before his eyes; he knows it's Hans – the same guy who used to hit on boys when he was a kid. Together with his timid friend Joergen and Tim, the pederast's latest victim, Lars embarks on a program to humiliate the man into leaving kids alone. His actions begin to snowball, though, until his “Anti Pedo Action” guerilla team takes on a frightening life of its own. SONS features excellent actors, including Nils Joergen Kaalstad as Lars, Henrik Mestad as Hans, and a very brave Mikkel Bratt Silset as young Tim. Director Strand notes, “SONS deals with the gray areas of our morality, which I find are the most interesting to explore.” (In Norwegian with English subtitles) –B.B.