Stef Assen

Jan has been married to Gedda for 35 years. Gedda loves Jan so much that she smothers him: before he can grab a glass from the table, she has already given him one. She picks out his clothing, his friends, his vacations and all their other activities. In an attempt to get some space Jan concocts a strange plan that literally transforms his marriage into a locked ward. Their daughter finds herself in a similar predicament with her exacting and jealous boyfriend.

Residents, police and the municipal government of the Dutch city of Enschede face loss, guilt and responsibility as they grapple with the May 2000 explosion of a fireworks depot that wipes a working-class suburb off the map.