ON JULY 22, 2011, Anders Behring Breivik, a right-wing extremist, opened fire at a summer camp of teenagers. He killed 69 participants of the Workers' Youth League that day in Utøya, Norway. Earlier, on the same day, he had killed eight people in a bomb explosion in Oslo.
Utøya: July 22 is the cinematic retelling of that tragic event through the eyes of the youngsters (fictional) at that summer camp. The movie begins with Kaja and a few of her friends having breakfast. Upon hearing gunshots, they are confused at first, and take shelter in a small building. Soon, they run to the nearby woods and Kaja realises that her sister is missing. None of the teenagers know what they are dealing with, as the attacker, who remains unseen, sprays bullets at them.
Shot in real-time, Utøya: July 22, directed by Erik Poppe, lets the audience experience the tension and gives an idea of what the teenagers underwent. He achieves this without showing the face of the attacker or the violence and mayhem he unleashed.
The movie, which was screened at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival, is a gut-wrenching retelling of futile violence and the survivors' trauma.