After the local elections in 2006 Ahmed Marcouch became the first Muslim mayor of the Amsterdam district Slotervaart. The Social Democrat is a man of action, resolutely pushing through tough measures – something that doesn’t always win him friends. Most of Slotervaart’s 45,000 inhabitants have immigrant roots, mostly Moroccan.
Slotervaart became well-known because several members of a supposed Islamist terror organization grew up there, as did Mohammed B., the murderer of the Dutch film director Theo van Gogh.
With his dynamic manner, firm handshake, his assertive look, and dark, scrutinizing eyes, there is no doubt that Marcouch is nobody’s fool, as the young Moroccan criminals he used to deal with as a policeman soon discovered.
Together with six other Muslim police officers he was given the task of re-establishing the contact with the Muslim population that his colleagues had completely lost.
The background reportage program Weltjournal form the Austrian public TV channel ORF makes a portrait of Ahmed Marcouch and shows the Amsterdam Slotervaart district through the eyes of a Dutch Moroccan policeman, a rapper and migrant women attending a biking course.
For this reportage Featurez gave advice, did the research, set up, planning of the filming, booked a rental car, did the driving, accompanied the filming, did some of the interviews and translations.