One in five Dutchmen at some stage develops an anxiety disorder that may have a paralysing effect on their daily activities. For over a year, Van Erp followed a couple of people from Amsterdam who contend with various anxieties. The causes are different for each individual, as are their therapies and the way they look at life. John's anxieties emerged completely unannounced during a holiday. After this, his house was the only safe haven and his job and marriage went down the drain. 'I'm scared to death that new fears will keep appearing.' Dieuwke washes for hours every day, because she is afraid people find her dirty and Nienke is afraid her daughter is held back by her mom's social phobia and fits of depression.
As Van Erp follows them and asks them some apt questions, the fears and sorrows of the people portrayed become literally tangible. In the voice-over, narrator Arthur Japin alternates background information with poetic views on urban life. In the meantime, the camera captures busy Amsterdam streets and the Amsterdam skyline. There are many anxieties living under the roofs of this city.
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