Tueurs: Pure Belgian crime staged by Versus Production
- The Belgian outfit has just announced that filming for the debut feature by François Troukens and Jean-François Hensgens will commence on 1 August
François Troukens is a well-known figure in Belgian crime circles. A reformed gangster, he dreamt of becoming a journalist but soon found himself entangled in a web of crime. Imprisoned after a heist gone wrong, he decided to dedicate his life to his passion, writing. In 2015, armed with this experience, he directed his first short, Caïds, a real springboard into his feature debut, Tueurs [+see also:
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film profile], a thriller combining biographical and historical elements. The film follows the life and career of Frank Valken, a high-flying robber who, together with his crew, has just pulled off a heist that will be his crowning glory. But, just after they leave the National Bank of Belgium, a group of hit men arrive on the scene, assassinating all witnesses. Lying among the bodies is that of the magistrate who was looking into an old politico-judicial case. Thirty years after they had disappeared, it seems as though the Tueurs Fous (lit. “Crazy Killers”) are back, or at least, that is what some would have you believe…
The Tueurs Fous in the film are inspired by the real-life crew that terrorised Belgium during the 1980s, the Brabant killers. This makes the film the first of its kind – a crime-action thriller produced in French-speaking Belgium about a crime-wave that made headlines and remains unsolved to this day. If you add to that an all-Belgian cast bringing its own added value, you have the makings of a highly successful film. At the top of the billing are Olivier Gourmet (The Son [+see also:
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film profile]). The film will be co-directed by Jean-François Hensgens, who had, until now, been known for his work as a cinematographer, working most notably on Joachim Lafosse’s films.
Tueurs, La stratégie de la tension is being produced by Versus Production, and co-produced by Capture The Flag Films, Savage Film and Proximus. The film is supported by the CCA and Wallimage, with O’Brother handling its domestic distribution and TF1 Droits Audiovisuels taking care of international sales. Filming, which will begin on 1 August, is slated to run until 30 September in Brussels and the surrounding areas, Charleroi, Verviers and Orléans.
(Translated from French)
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