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Synopsis

The dream of being a homeowner brings thirty-year-old Bekim from Albania to Amsterdam. He leaves his girlfriend Marta behind in Tirana to make big money in the Netherlands. However, once arrived there, all he manages to get is a job as a garbage man. Frustrated and unhappy with the income opportunities in this industry and allured by the shady character Van Doom, Bekim switches to the drugs and sex trade. Soon, he is swirled into a precarious spiral of violence and crime. Although this is a story well-known from various Hollywood movies, Fatmir Koçi's new film cannot fail to impress. For several years, the director has focussed on this kind of problems, using the genre's conventions to draw attention to social abuse in the Utopia of Europe. With appalling accuracy, he describes the wheelings and dealings within the sphere of Amsterdam's criminal community, where drug and human trafficking is part of everyday life. The film's message is that, eventually, it's all about money – whether in Tirana or in Amsterdam. What is lost on the way is love. When Bekim finally returns to Albania, his problems follow him hot on his heels. Amsterdam Express is an in-depth study of a particular social environment, directed in an oppressively realistic manner, with strong action scenes.

Guests

Enzo Brandner

Enzo Brandner

Director of Photography Amsterdam Express

Fatmir Koci

Fatmir Koci

Director Amsterdam Express

Amsterdam Express

Original Title

Amsterdam Express

Director

Fatmir Koçi

Script

Fatmir Koçi, Jonathan Preece

Actors

Blerim Destani, James Biberi, Flonja Kodheli, Natasha Goulden

Genre

Drama

Category

Highlights Love

Country and Year

UK | Albania | Netherlands | Germany 2014

Language

English, Albanian, Engl. subtitles

Running time

107 min

Dates

Thursday 09.10.

21:15 Village Cinema 1

Friday 10.10.

21:15 Actors Studio 2