Izzat

Izzat is a 2005 Norwegian crime and action drama, also described as Nordic Noir. The film is written by Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen and Leon Bashir and directed by Ulrik Imtaiz Rolfsen. The film is set in Oslo during the late 1980s and early 1990s during the main characters childhood, and the mid 2000s when the characters have grown up to be adults, with the film being narrated in periodical flashbacks. The name of the film comes from the word "Izzat", found in the languages of Bengali, Hindi, and Urdu. The word means honour and is used to describe the cultural concept of honour, especially in the context of family and the men's role to protect the reputation of women in their family. The practice is found in South Asia where it is commonly practiced especially in North India and in Pakistan as well as in their diaspora communities. The concept of izzat is a theme that is portrayed in the film, but is not the main theme of the movie.   Izzat portrays the lives of young second generation Pakistanis boys and the film draws inspiration from the lived lives and experiences of Leon Bashir and Ulrik Imataiz Rolfsen who are Norwegians with Pakistani background that grew up in Oslo around the time of the film's depiction. The Pakistani Norwegian community in Norway constitutes the oldest and largest non-wester/non-European Immigrant community in Norway. The Pakistani criminal gangs that are depicted in the film is inspired by the real Pakistani gang from Norway in the late 80s called The Young Guns which later merged into a new gang called the A-gang. Plot During the 1980s and 1990s, a new wave of criminals is emerging in Oslo. They are more international and more dangerous than the capital has ever witnessed before. Norwegian drug kingpins are attacking the new immigrant criminal gangs who wish to get the profits of selling heroin to themselves. A battle where a lot of blood is to be shed before it could stabilise is on the horizon. Amid this, three immigrant boys by the name of Wasim, Riaz and Munawar all coming from the Norwegian Pakistani community are growing up on the east side of Oslo. They feel like Norwegians and expect the same respect any other Norwegian would have. However, they soon learn that with their immigrant background they are far away from getting a good job that pays well. Life is also boring growing up in the safest city in the world, and the boys find school to be a drag. The three boys would rather do more exciting things than school.