Giorgos Striftaris

Twenty-five films from twenty-five European countries by twenty-five European directors.

Inspired by the real-life story of a bus hijacking in Northern Greece, HOSTAGE explores the sensitive issue of Greek-Albanian relations through a young Albanian who takes over an intercity bus. Upon hijacking the bus, he takes the seven passengers hostage and demands a ransom of half and million euro, and safe passage to his homeland of Albania. Surrounded by police, the bus trundles towards the Albanian border and the tension mounts until the final harrowing conclusion.

The protagonist, aged 40, lives in his car and receives his family at fixed times. His employer is a rich narcoleptic who can’t drive. The driver provides him with special honey. But when an even better driver comes along, he loses his job and decides to look for another means of transport.