22 July
22 JULY recreates the true-life 2011 massacre of 77 people, mostly teens at an island summer camp outside of Oslo, Norway, by a fanatic terrorist. Paul Greengrass concentrates on three facets of the tragic events: Viljar Hanssen (Jonas strand Gravli) a teen who was critically injured and fights to survive; the remorseless killer who considered himself a warrior for a fascistic (Neo-Nazi) cause; and governmental institutions -- including the Prime Minister and the legal system -- charged with dispensing justice. Anders Behring Breivik (Anders Danielsen Lie) first exploded a government building, killing eight people, then ferried to a camp filled with exuberant young people where, with stoic precision, he shot and killed 69 of them. Hundreds more were injured at the two sites. The tragic events make up only the first part of the film. What follows is the drama of the aftermath: Viljar's fragile recovery with his caring family and the little brother who survived without physical injury at his side; Brievik's fraught relationship with his lawyer (Jon Oigarden) and the ensuing courtroom drama; and, finally, Norway's stalwart commitment to an awareness that morality and humanity must be ever vigilant in the face of bigotry.
Starring
Anders Danielsen Lie, Jonas Strand Gravli, Jon Øigarden
Director
Paul Greengrass