Washington [US]: Spanish filmmaker Gemma Blasco has made her feature debut with the intense drama Fury, a powerful exploration of trauma and emotional turmoil. The film, co-written by Blasco and Eva Paune, follows the story of Alex, played by Angela Cervantes, a young woman grappling with the aftermath of a violent assault at a New Year’s Eve party.
“Fury came from a desire to offer a different, darker and more visceral vision of the consequences of sexual violence,” Blasco revealed in an interview with Variety.
Sharing her personal connection to the story, Blasco stated, “When I was 18, I was sexually assaulted, and shortly after, I started studying film. It didn’t take me long to realise that, one day, I would end up making this film because I couldn’t find any references that I felt represented me and the way I was feeling inside. I wanted to see a representation that was dirtier and grittier rather than one that was somehow romanticized and sugar-coated.”
Blasco clarified that Fury is not a story about overcoming adversity but rather an intense dive into the complexities of trauma. “The script was born from ‘beacon’ images I’d been accumulating over the years, like gutted boars, Greek tragedy, blood, and the night,” she explained.
The film also delves into themes of emotional expression, examining the contrasting ways men and women are culturally conditioned to respond to trauma. Blasco highlighted this by exploring two perspectives: one through Alex, the victim, and the other through her brother, who struggles with feelings of guilt for not protecting her.
“As a person, I am not interested in violence. In fact, I reject it, and it paralyzes me. But as a director, it was interesting for me to explore it and to develop a female character who does decide to channel the fury she’s carrying inside,” Blasco said.
Produced by Ringo Media and RM Pelicula AIE in Torrevelilla, Fury is being distributed internationally by Filmax and will be released in Spanish theatres on March 28.