Shubhabrata Dutta
Helmed by Bobby Boermans, ‘iHostage’ is a Dutch crime thriller movie that focuses on a hostage situation in the heart of Amsterdam. Chaos ensues when a young man named Ammar Ajar pulls out his gun inside an Apple store. While forces gather outside the store, surrounding it from all sides, the man is reached out to by a negotiator. The police cannot risk taking a wrong step as he is armed and wearing explosives. His unpredictable nature makes the whole situation even more risky, particularly because the lives of the civilians are at risk.
It is now up to the negotiator and the authorities to find a crack in the wall and gain an advantage. The film is inspired by the real-life hostage crisis that took place in Leidseplein, Amsterdam, on February 22, 2022, when a 27-year-old Abdel Rahman Akkad entered an Apple store and took all those inside the building hostage. Realism plays an important role in the film, and the crew had to ensure it was depicted on the screen while adding tension to the narrative through the setting and camerawork.
iHostage Filming Locations
Filming of ‘iHostage’ took place entirely in Amsterdam, Netherlands, specifically in Leidseplein and Katwijk. Principal photography reportedly began in the middle of February 2024 and continued for several weeks before seemingly wrapping up by the end of March the same year. By using real locations for outdoor scenes and studio sets for indoor shoots, the crew successfully recreated the actual events and garnished them with drama.
Leidseplein, Amsterdam
Almost all outdoor scenes were shot in Leidseplein in central Amsterdam, where the Apple store is located at Hirsch & Cie, Leidseplein 25, 1017 PS. In keeping with the authenticity, the team accessed different areas around the square, including the streets, to highlight how the authorities handled the situation. The rooftops of buildings overlooking the square were used to capture wide shots and establish the tense environment. Interestingly, Boermans resides near Leidseplein, which thereby enabled him to use the square to its full potential.
According to reports, the crew consulted with the police, the municipality, and the municipal transport company GVB (Gemeentelijk Vervoerbedrijf) to use various sections of the square, which is a cultural hub. Tram traffic was diverted as much as possible to film close-ups of the store, showing the Special Intervention Service preparing to break in at the right moment. Since shooting was not allowed on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Amsterdam, the production team had to work on the other three days of the week. While this affected the production schedule, it ensured that the Netflix production got its realistic touch.
Katwijk, Amsterdam
Due to legal issues with Apple, using the real store where the real-life incident occurred was not possible. The crew, therefore, had to scan the whole area of Leidseplein visible from inside the store and then recreate it in an airplane hangar in Katwijk. While the 6-meter-high LED screens showed the scanned images of the square and even the police stationed nearby, a sidewalk was made to blend the indoor set with the visuals. To compensate for the inability to capture scenes inside the store, immense care was taken to recreate them using a well-curated set. The store at the popular Hirsch & Cie building is very different from usual Apple stores, as it looks more like a fashion store. So, a customized space was built to film scenes incorporating various sections of the shop with the perpetrator, the employees, and the customers.
Read More: Is Ammar Ajar Based on a Real Person? What Happened to Abdel Rahman Akkad?
