The Fury

When little Albert was six, he spent a lot of time with his 12-year-older Aunt Tini who also confided in him. He was often allowed to join his aunt in bed where she told him racy stories. Little Albert was a witness to the amusing quest for a suitable husband for Tini.

When she married Koos from Breda, the wedding reception got out of hand. During the party, Koos heard rumors and made a huge fuss that brought the reception to an early end. The honeymoon was canceled too and Koos demanded a fertility test. The test made it clear that Koos is infertile; at least, according to Tini who herself fetched the test results from the hospital.

They end up having a barren marriage without children and Albert becomes her substitute son. Tini becomes bitter and during family events in the years that follow she rants against her parents, her sister Hanny (Alberts mother), the church and hypocrisy. When in the free 1970s Albert is a student and looks up to his still childless aunt, he ends up in bed with her. The clumsy fondle ends unsatisfactorily, partly because Tini is very secretive about the past.

Albert becomes a celebrated playwright and his fascination with and love for his aunt turn to annoyance. Just when Albert calls his aunt to order at another family event, Tini finally explains what happened to her when she was fifteen. Her fathers best friend Nico van Dartel was protagonist in this tragedy and Hanny, her sister, played a fatal supporting role. When Tini has told her story, everyone is left devastated. After the last revelation, Tini is struck dumb. In the hospital, the doctors cant find any medical cause for her silence. The 69-year-old Tini speaks one more sentence to Albert indicating that the bond between nephew and aunt has been restored and showing that she hasnt lost her sense of humor. The film is based on the novel by A.F.Th. van der Heijden, one of the most important Dutch writers and an award-winning novelist. The Fury (The Hellcat) was presented during the award ceremony of the P.C. Hooft Prize for Literature (the most important Dutch literary prize) to A.F.Th. van der Heijden in 2013. Matthijs van Heijningen and Guurtje Buddenberg have produced thirty-nine features (see IMDB), including very successful mass audience films and well-received art-house films. André van Duren has directed several prize-winning features, successful television series and commercials. They previously made The Gang of Oss and Young Kees, and now continuing the cooperation with The Fury (The Hellcat). Director of photography Theo Bierkens, Production designer Alfred Schaaf and the other key crew members all have successful careers at home and abroad.

The cast of The Fury is made up of the cream of Dutch actors and actresses. Hannah Hoekstra, Benja Bruijning, Hadewych Minis, Anneke Blok, Robert de Hoog, Frank Lammers and Gijs Scholten van Aschat. With her latest film Heaven /Hemel, the protagonist Hannah Hoekstra won a Golden Calf at the Netherlands Film Festival as well as the press prize at the Berlin Film Festival (Berlinale). The Fury (The Hellcat) will be released in Dutch and Belgian cinemas at Easter 2016 by Entertainment One Benelux. www.sigmapictures.com