Programmer's Note

Several European films in the last decade have dealt with cultural changes resulting from the collapse of old national borders, increased migration within the European Union and immigration to the region from outside. A number of these films have concentrated on newcomers from nearby Middle Eastern and African countries, but Marco van Geffen’s fascinating and oblique thriller shows that proximity does not necessarily guarantee understanding. Split into three segments — with each fore-grounding a different perspective on similar events — Among Us focuses on the countless barriers that separate us from one another.

Ewa (Dagmara Bak), a vulnerable and shy young girl from Poland, journeys to The Netherlands to work as an au pair for a young couple with a small child and another on the way. (This first section is told from the mother’s point of view.) From the outset, the relationship between them is uncomfortable. Ewa only speaks Polish and English, which makes communication awkward, but far more troublesome are their class differences. The already frustrated couple is baffled by Ewa’s seemingly erratic behaviour — she stays out late one evening and even shows up drunk and hysterical another night.

The second section of the film relates events from the perspective of Aga, another Polish au pair and Ewa’s only friend. Brassy and direct, Aga is Ewa’s polar opposite. The third and final section recounts events from Ewa’s viewpoint.

With each succeeding segment, van Geffen explains away some but not all of the mys­teries presented earlier. Exacerbating the sense of unease that percolates throughout the film are media reports about a sexual predator on the loose. The director subtly builds tension as the story unfolds — a ten­sion spiked by our uncertainty about what’s going on and what’s motivating the char­acters. Despite these thriller elements, van Geffen is far more interested in exploring social and cultural prejudices than adhering to generic conventions. Directed with a keen awareness of the boundaries that keep us apart, Among Us is a troubling look into the lives of foreign workers. Steve Gravestock