Diksha Sundriyal
In Netflix’s ‘iHostage,’ the police force of Amsterdam is caught in a storm when a man named Ammar Ajar holds hostages in an Apple store. He has guns and explosives, and he is ready to kill himself, if that’s what it takes to get what he wants. When the news of his crime comes to light, Kees van Zanten, the police chief, immediately jumps into action. He coordinates the entire plan to figure out who Ajar is, what he wants, how to neutralise him, and most importantly, how to get the hostages out safely. In this process, Lynn’s work as a hostage negotiator becomes immensely important. Both of their work accurately reflects the challenges faced by real police officers.
Kees van Zanten is Loosely Inspired by a Real Police Chief
‘iHostage’ follows the true story of the crime that took place on February 22, 2022, in Amsterdam’s Apple store. Almost all the characters and events in the movie are presented in a near-accurate light. However, the creators of the film have taken creative liberties in presenting certain things, especially when it comes to the characters and their backgrounds. The arc of Kees van Zanten represents Amsterdam’s then-chief police, Frank Paauw. The now-retired 66-year-old was in charge during the robbery and saw it through, just as Kees stayed till the end to make sure that all the hostages had been brought out safely.
In his forty-two years of career in the police force, Paauw has served as the police chief in Rotterdam as well, and has handled all sorts of cases. Apart from his work in the force, he is also known for his love for football, which started when he began playing at the age of six. Over the years, he has continued to play the sport and has even adopted it as his new profession. Apart from playing for the veterans’ team, Graaf Willem II, VAC in The Hague, he has worked with UEFA as a security officer and a key adviser for more than two decades. He served as the stadium commander in Rotterdam during the UEFA EURO 2000. During his service in the Dutch police, he also played for the department’s team for about a decade and a half.
In 2024, he was elected the new president of the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB), a role that required him to give up his place as the chief police officer, as it put him in a conflict of interest. The movie does not delve into Kees’ past as the officer or give us any indication of where his future is. The sole focus remains on the resolution of the robbery and the safety of the hostages. While Paauw is clearly the inspiration behind the character, the writers of the film seem to have brought their own take on what the investigation must have looked like from the inside. For this, certain fictionalised things have been added to the character, and a made-up name is given to him. At the core, however, it sticks closely to the concerning actions of Akkad and his eventual and tragic death.
Lynn Represents the Real Negotiator in the Amsterdam Apple Store Robbery
A lot of people worked behind the scenes to keep the hostages safe and Abdel Rahman Akkad occupied so that the tactical team could do its job. The most important responsibility, one could say, was on the shoulders of the hostage negotiator who had to stay in touch with Akkad to understand his motives and intentions and make sure that he didn’t do anything untoward. The film keeps the privacy of the real-life hostage negotiators who worked on the case, and gives them a face in Lynn. This fictionalised character is supposed to show the audience the challenges faced by the real negotiator that day. However, even with these fictitious additions, the writers have made sure that none of the details slip through the cracks.
In the movie, Lynn tries to win Ammar Ajar’s trust, but eventually, he decides not to talk to her and asks for a male negotiator instead. Something similar happened in real life as well, when, after talking with a female hostage negotiator for hours, Akkad suddenly decided that he didn’t want to interact with her anymore and asked for a male negotiator, believing that he could get Akkad what he wanted. The film incorporates small things like these about the case to infuse the characters with realism. As for their background stories, the writers have dipped their pens into fiction to tighten the narrative and deliver a captivating film.
Read More: iHostage: Is Winston Based on a Real Police Officer?
