he release date for the film ‘Occupied City’ has been set for Friday, December 27, along with the unveiling of its trailer, Japanese poster visuals, and 10 still images.
Amsterdam, one of Europe’s most prominent cities and the capital of the Netherlands, bears a dark memory from its five-year Nazi occupation during World War II, starting in May 1940. During this period, countless lives were lost as human rights and freedom of speech were stripped away, with Jewish citizens being the primary victims. Of the 107,000 individuals deported to concentration camps, 102,000 were reportedly killed.
Director Steve McQueen, who considers Amsterdam his second home, aimed to create a film that brings the past vividly back to life—not merely through knowledge or information, but by letting the locations themselves tell the story. Instead of relying on archival footage or interviews, McQueen captures over 130 historically significant sites using 35mm film, allowing viewers to experience the unspeakable horrors of that era. This ambitious work seeks to collapse the distance between the past and the present, resulting in a monumental film with a scale and vision only achievable by McQueen and A24.
The cinematography was led by Lennert Hillege, whom McQueen, not fond of conventional documentary techniques, has praised as “brilliant.” The film’s score is composed by Oliver Coates, who also worked on the A24 production Aftersun.
Given the film’s length, there will be one intermission during its screening.
Occupied City
Nationwide Theatrical Release Starting December 27th (Friday) at Human Trust Cinema Shibuya & Yurakucho, and more
Director: Steve McQueen
Original Work: Bianca Stigter, Atlas of an Occupied City
Executive Producers: Daniel Battsek, Ben Coren, Ollie Madden, Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer
Producers: Floor Onrust, Anna Smith Tenser
Cinematography: Lennert Hillege
Editing: Xander Nuytsen
Sound Recording: Jos Ten Kloster
Sound Mixing: Jan Schermer
Narration: Melanie Hyams
Music: Oliver Coates
2023 / UK, Netherlands, USA / English (with some Dutch) / 251 min / Standard / Color / 5.1ch / G
Original Title: OCCUPIED CITY
Japanese Subtitles: Chie Matsuda
Presented by: TBS Television
Distributed by: Transformer, TBS Television
(c) 2023 De Bezette Stad BV and Occupied City Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Official X (formerly Twitter): @senryotoshi
Official Website: https://www.transformer.co.jp/m/senryotoshi/