Off Screen is a disturbing thriller about a 59-year-old bus driver who takes hostages in an Amsterdam high-rise. The drama begins with the clumsy but successful takeover of a modern office building where the solitary gunman, John R., has only one condition – to speak with the CEO of Phillips, the international corporation. What unfolds are the situations which have lead this seemingly unremarkable man to undertake such drastic action. Tight-lipped John is a typical working class guy. His orderly life of driving a bus is not interrupted even after his longtime wife leaves him. One day he meets a businessman who forgets his briefcase on the bus. The two bond and the strangely friendly businessman reveals to John a plot to install new widescreen TVs which manipulate the feelings and physical responses of the viewers. Could this have triggered John’s armed response? Is John a lonely, delusional fool or a pawn caught in business espionage? It is for you to decide. This drama won Best Film in the 2005 Montreal World Film Festival. – Philadelphia Film Festival

Pieter Kuijpers studied theater, film and television at the University of Utrecht. He made his feature film debut in 2003 with the film Godforsaken, which became one of the year’s box office hits. He followed that with De Ordening (2003).

Producers: Anja Daelemans, Reinier Selen, Edwin van Meurs Screenwriter: Hugo Heinen Cinematographer: Bert Pot Editor: Job ter Burg Cast: JJan Decleir, Jeroen Krabbé, Astrid Joosten