20 October - 2021
Save the date: on Sunday 7 November, we will screen the film Daniel for free in De Westerkerk in cooperation with Explore the North. Daniel was actually meant to be the opening film last year, but due to the coronavirus this unfortunately couldn’t happen. Still, we think this gem really deserves a place on the big screen. A nice warm-up for the festival!
Daniel tells the story of one of the most spectacular abductions of our time. The young Danish photojournalist Daniel Rye travels to Syria in 2013 to make a reportage about the daily life of civilians. In the border town of Azaz, he is then held hostage for 398 days by the terrorist organisation Islamic State, along with several other foreigners, including American journalist James Foley.
The film follows Daniel’s struggle to survive in captivity, his friendship with James and the nightmare of the family members, who, at home in Denmark, spend months in secret, nerve-wracking actions as they try to cope with the fear that they will never see their son and brother alive again. At the centre of this crisis is hostage negotiator Arthur, who plays a central role in Daniel’s release. The film is based on the book Hostage to IS (2016) which Danish journalist Puk Damsgård wrote based on Daniel Rye’s personal experiences.
Book your free tickets for Daniel below to be sure of a place. It is also possible to come by without a ticket, if there are places left you can just come in. But full is full! And are you curious for more information? Then click here.
