Oscar Nominee Barkhad Abdi, Jim Deddes Lead Teddy Cherim’s ‘Maalstroom’; First-Look Image Released (EXCLUSIVE)
Dutch-Belgian drama ‘Maalstroom’, starring Oscar nominee Barkhad Abdi alongside Jim Deddes and Tenzing Woing, has completed filming and released its first image. Written and directed by Teddy Cherim, the film examines migration in Europe through a barge skipper who finds 11 refugees concealed in his cargo, making the issue personal through the characters’ shared journey.
Deddes plays financially struggling skipper Jan, who accepts a sand delivery from Dunkirk to Rotterdam before discovering the refugees; Woing plays his deckhand Edward and Abdi plays Bahdoon. The production is backed by Dutch and Belgian partners and public funding bodies, while Cherim says its surreal humour will expose contradictions, bureaucracy and fear surrounding European migration policy.
- ‘Maalstroom’ has wrapped filming and released a first-look image.
- Barkhad Abdi stars in Teddy Cherim’s migration-focused drama.
- The story follows refugees found aboard a barge bound for Rotterdam.
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Migration has been a major issue in Europe for many years, with people arriving from other countries to seek safety, work or family reunification. European governments have different rules on borders, asylum and residence, and these policies can affect both migrants and the communities they enter.
The film is set around a cargo barge travelling from Dunkirk in northern France to Rotterdam in the Netherlands, two important port cities. Its central character is a skipper, or boat captain, who discovers 11 refugees hidden among his cargo and must decide how to respond.
Barkhad Abdi is a Somali-American actor who was nominated for an Oscar for his first film role in Captain Phillips. Jim Deddes is a Dutch actor and comedian, while Teddy Cherim is the film’s writer and director.