Back to the Taj Mahal Hotel

Dutch filmmaker Carina Molier uses interviews with survivors and archival footage to reconstruct the 2008 attack on the prestigious Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai, India. Dozens of people were killed in the attack.

On 26 November 2008, armed Pakistani men stormed the Taj Mahal Palace, a famous five-star hotel in Mumbai. Hotel guests were held hostage for hours, and dozens of people did not survive. Years later, filmmaker Carina Molier returns to the scene of the terrible event, accompanying five survivors. There they tell candid stories about the traumatic experience of the attack and how the fearful hours they spent in the hotel affected their lives.

Besides the personal stories of the victims, the film also shows the story of one of the perpetrators. By alternating between interviews and archival footage, the filmmaker explores the tension between vulnerability and control, asking existential questions about freedom, faith, and the illusion of safety in our society.

Back to the Taj Mahal Hotel has been selected for the Dutch Movies Matter competition.