Stolen plot summary
Elsa is a young Norwegian girl who comes from a long line of reindeer herders and is also eager to follow in her family’s footsteps. The film starts with Elsa’s father teaching her how to tame a white reindeer, which she names Nastegallu. While Elsa is enjoying her time with her reindeer, other reindeer belonging to different herders are mysteriously disappearing and getting killed.
One day, on her way back from school, Elsa witnesses a man, Robert, killing his reindeer, which happens to be Nastegallu. The man spots Elsa and warns her that if she tells anyone about what she saw, she’ll be his next target. Elsa’s brother suspects Robert, but when he asks Elsa, she remains silent, possibly frightened by the threat.
At the police station the next day, Elsa finds out that Robert, who killed the calf, has connections in the police force. Therefore, Elsa doesn’t say anything, and the cops have no choice but to record the incident as a theft due to lack of evidence.
Why does Lasse not want Mattias to work in the mines?
Ten years have passed, and Robert is still illegally hunting reindeer for sport, often filming his cruel acts with a companion. Meanwhile, Elsa has taken a job at the local school, a departure from her dream of becoming a reindeer herder like her father. Despite her passion, Elsa had to settle for teaching, as her father insisted that herding was a man’s job.
Mattias, next in line to inherit Nils Johan’s reindeer, has different plans. He wants to work in the mines for a better income, feeling there’s no future in herding. However, leaving the Sami community to work in the mines means being disowned. As one former Sami member, Lasse, who left for the mines, put it, they even take away your earmarks.
The same day, Mattias and Elsa follow a trail of blood to a shed, and they call the cops to investigate. The shed belongs to Robert, but without a search warrant, the cops can’t check his barn. Robert lies, suggesting that the Sami people are killing their own reindeer to claim compensation from the government.
Since Robert isn’t arrested again, Elsa blames herself, believing that if she had told the truth ten years ago, Robert wouldn’t have had the chance to kill so many reindeer.
Why is Elsa stopped from attending council meetings?
Elsa brings up the reindeer murders during a council meeting, but it backfires. Non-Sami people want the government to build factories in the region to create jobs and opportunities for locals. However, this would threaten the future of reindeer herders like Nils Johan and others who are already struggling. This is why some people resent the Sami, accusing them of hindering the development of others.
This angers Robert, and he piles up reindeer skulls on the side of the road to grab everyone’s attention. People start saying that the Sami are killing their own reindeer again for compensation. However, Elsa gives a statement to the media, suggesting that it’s actually the non-Sami people who are killing their reindeer to intimidate them out of hatred.
This statement doesn’t sit well with the public, and Elsa is banned from attending any further meetings. Things take a turn for the worse when someone, most likely Robert, burns the entire fodder of one of the reindeer herders.
What happens to Robert in the end?
One day, Elsa notices Robert loading dead reindeer corpses into the back of his truck. She even films it as evidence to later turn over to the police. When Robert learns about it, he arrives at Elsa’s house and fires warning shots to scare her. Scared, Elsa hides herself in the cellar and calls 911, but before the cops can arrive, Robert finds Elsa and threatens her.
He tells her to stop bothering him and talking bad about him, or he’ll slit her throat like he did to Nastegallu ten years ago. This time too, Robert’s luck plays out, and he manages to evade arrest. Elsa realizes she’s on her own and has to take action. She decides to bring Robert to justice. Breaking into his barn, she hopes to find evidence proving he’s been killing innocent reindeer for fun. Inside, she discovers a room filled with the carcasses of dozens of reindeer, from freezers to walls.
Unfortunately, Robert has cameras installed in the room and is alerted to Elsa’s presence. Robert chases Elsa, but his snowmobile crashes into the frozen lake. Elsa tries to save him by pulling him with a rope, but he ends up drowning. The police are called, and they launch a full investigation into Robert’s activities because of the countless physical and video evidence.
It’s revealed that Robert had been killing reindeer for over a decade. Robert’s companions are also arrested. Elsa, on the other hand, regains the town’s trust and confidence. Mattias also agrees to see a therapist to fight his depression, following Elsa’s advice.
Read More: Stolen Movie Review