Izzat

The film sits in a decade of shifting crime and international influence in Oslo. It portrays how immigrant communities intersect with local law enforcement and the drug trade during a period when Oslo is portrayed as the 'safest city' while danger brews beneath. The timeline follows the boys from school days to adulthood, highlighting changes in opportunity, loyalty, and risk.

The story unfolds on Oslo's East Side, specifically the Stovner district, a place that appears quiet on the surface but harbors growing criminal activity. It centers on immigrant youths navigating a city known for its contrast between a safe image and underground networks. The setting shows a blend of middle-class life and harsh street reality as gangs begin trafficking heroin.

🤝 Loyalty

Loyalty drives the choices of Wasim, Riaz, and Munawar as they balance allegiance to friends with duties to family. The trio's bond is tested as betrayal and snitching threaten to fracture their inner circle. The East Side Crew's code clashes with personal safety and self-interest, leading to increasingly brutal confrontations. The theme explores how loyalty can both bind and break people when survival becomes the goal.

🪪 Identity

The three boys grow up as Norwegians with strong Pakistani roots, confronting a sense of belonging in a city that welcomes them yet marginalizes them. Their immigrant background shapes their access to jobs, respect, and acceptance within Norwegian society. The story examines how identity evolves under pressure from family expectations and criminal peers. It asks what it means to belong when you must choose between two worlds.

💰 Power & Money

Criminal wealth becomes a magnet, redefining status and giving Wasim and his friends new influence. The heroin import operation introduces international connections and escalates violence as rivals close in. The pursuit of profit drives strategic moves, scheming, and a ruthless escalation of risk. This theme ties personal ambition to the dangers and consequences of a criminal empire.