Alexander, a Belgian train driver, and Floris Rijssenbeek, a Dutch filmmaker, are on a quest to unravel the mechanism that makes international trains run. Or not. Because European cooperation in the railway sector encounters friction. But why? Especially now that climate-neutral travel is becoming increasingly important? Alexander and Floris embark on a bumpy train journey through Europe and enter a world that is far less romantic than a train journey itself: the railway sector. A complex fortress of rail companies, train operators, politicians, bureaucrats, ministers, and lobbyists, primarily driven by varying national interests. They discover how individuals who drive cars determine the future of trains, how the train lobby battles itself in Brussels, and above all, how nationalism prevails in a sector meant to promote international connectivity. Perhaps it's Europe at its worst. Meanwhile, Europe at its most beautiful is at stake: the future of international train travel.
Participant: Floris Rijssenbeek