The Killing of Benjamin Hermansen

One winter night in Holmlia, 15-year-old Benjamin loses his life – killed by 19-year-old Joe Erling, simply because of the color of his skin. One year later, Benjamin's mother, Marit, faces every parent's worst nightmare: the trial against the man who killed her son. Benjamin grows up surrounded by friends and a mother who cares for him, while Joe Erling is shaped by an environment marked by neglect. Both live in areas of low social status. Benjamin experiences being stigmatized by the police, and Joe Erling drifts into the neo-Nazi Boot Boys community in search of security. The film portrays how vulnerable it is when young boys try to find themselves and their sense of belonging – and how catastrophic the consequences can be when hatred is given room to grow. 25 years after the killing of Benjamin Hermansen, this is a story we still need to tell – about racism, loss, and the hope of reconciliation in a society that must not forget.