Why you can skip the Apple Store docu
Among Amsterdammers, there is sometimes the idea that the whole world revolves around Amsterdam. This is usually not based on anything, as life continues outside the capital. Two years ago, there was indeed a moment when the world stood still due to what was happening in Amsterdam.
It was big news worldwide: the Apple Store, the glass flagship on Leidseplein, was held hostage by an armed man with a bomb belt. The shock I felt upon hearing about the hostage situation is hard to forget. That was really one of those moments when you quickly text your family and friends to make sure they are safe. Because I remember all of that so well, I was very curious about the documentary about this event, produced by Videoland and AT5 together. And yet, it disappointed me greatly.
The ingredients should have made for an impressive docu. The hostage-taker wore a GoPro, allowing all his actions to be precisely followed, there were security cameras in the square, and journalists were present to report from all sides of Leidseplein. Even the involved police officers, the negotiator, and one of the victims share their experiences and memories of that day.
Maybe it's that everyone speaks very dryly, making it feel like I'm watching an internal evaluation of the police from that day. One of the people who had to hide in a closet for hours describes how intense that was, the fear of death they experienced. It makes it even stranger that it is then shown that the police officers received pizza deliveries because the hostage situation lasted so long, and they were concerned for a while about who had or hadn't eaten pizza. Also, the people in the law office above the store, who could see through the glass ceiling how the armed man held someone at gunpoint, are heard laughing about the situation in a video they made with a phone. It suddenly seems like it wasn't that bad, and we've made something bigger out of it than it actually was.
Unfortunately, it is not clear how all the victims are doing now. Nothing more is said about the man who was held at gunpoint for hours.
