The movie
Downtown
Three young friends throw themselves wholeheartedly into Amsterdam’s hedonistic nightlife scene, until the then-mysterious disease AIDS enters their lives and casts a shadow over their world. Thirty-two years later, during the 2021 lockdown, they attempt to rekindle their friendship.
Description
Amsterdam, 1986. In the flamboyant nightclub Downtown, Ronnie, Lennart and Bas seem invincible. Their close friendship revolves around nights filled with freedom, desire and excess, against the backdrop of a city undergoing rapid change. But when the first rumours about AIDS begin to spread, the atmosphere in their world slowly shifts. While Ronnie cautiously tries to look ahead, Lennart and Bas cling to a life that seems endless — until Bas suddenly disappears without a trace.
More than thirty years later, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ronnie unexpectedly spots Bas on the metro. He decides to organise a dinner, inviting Lennart as well. It will be their first meeting in years.
Downtown, directed by Michiel van Erp, is the opening film of the 46th edition of the Netherlands Film Festival (NFF).
