Synopsis (English)

Downtown revolves around Bas (20), Lennart (23), and Ronnie (26), three young gay men who find themselves at the center of Amsterdam’s nightlife in the 1980s. It is a time where anything seems possible, especially if you’re young. But amidst this newfound freedom, the emergence of a deadly disease looms. The AIDS epidemic slowly but surely makes its entrance into the queer community, forever changing the lives and friendship of these three men.

Then, 32 years later, the Covid pandemic bears striking similarities to those anxious days, stirring up emotions Bas, Lennart, and Ronnie (now 52, 55, and 58) had buried deeply within themselves. Reunited for the first time after all these years, they are confronted with the past, their choices, and each other.

Downtown tells the story of a generation of men who witnessed their youthful ideals go up in smoke and the scars they still carry within them. Inspired by the personal experiences of the writer and director, who themselves were deeply involved in the vibrant club scene and experienced the devastating consequences of AIDS firsthand, the film is a celebration of life and a love letter to a generation that laid the groundwork for the sexual liberation the queer community knows today.

Downtown reflects on the AIDS epidemic and the 1980s but is also a contemporary, inclusive crossover film that shines a light on an important part of the recent history of the LGBTQIA+ community. It is a coming-of-age film, but more than that: it is a portrait of three men learning how to continue living life after such a traumatic