| MSTERDAM (AP) — One of the Netherlands' best-known gangsters went to court Thursday to stop the release of a film about the 1983 kidnapping and ransom of beer tycoon Freddy Heineken, in which he played a key role, claiming it misrepresents him.
Willem Holleeder, dubbed "The Nose" in the Dutch media, was sentenced to 11 years for his part in Heineken's ordeal in 1986. Holleeder sued filmmakers from his cell in the high-security prison where he is serving a new nine-year sentence in an unrelated extortion case, and the Justice Ministry did not grant him leave to appear in the courtroom.
Producer IDTV Film lawyer Jens van den Brink argued the Dutch-language movie "The Heineken Kidnapping," which cost €4.7 million ($6.4 million) to make and stars Rutger Hauer as Heineken, is a fictionalized version of events. He said halting it days before its scheduled Oct. 24 opening in Amsterdam would be financially ruinous.
Holleeder, now 53, is not named in the movie, and filmmakers merged his character with that of another of the four real-life kidnappers — though one of the actors resembles Holleeder physically, right down to the prominent nose that prompted his nickname.
Holleeder's lawyers say the movie portrays the kidnappers as more violent than they actually were, and it will stymie Holleeder's attempts to reintegrate with society once he is released. They say he wants to be known for what he actually did, not as the character in the movie.
In an interview with Dutch press agency ANP, the film's director Maarten Treurniet said Holleeder's suit has no merit.
"In my eyes, he suffered the bulk of the damage to his reputation when he kidnapped Heineken: this is peanuts by comparison," Treurniet said. He said viewers will have more sympathy for the character that most resembles Holleeder than he deserves.
Court spokeswoman Annemieke Jeuring said judges will rule Friday.MSTERDAM (AP) — One of the Netherlands' best-known gangsters went to court Thursday to stop the release of a film about the 1983 kidnapping and ransom of beer tycoon Freddy Heineken, in which he played a key role, claiming it misrepresents him.
Willem Holleeder, dubbed "The Nose" in the Dutch media, was sentenced to 11 years for his part in Heineken's ordeal in 1986. Holleeder sued filmmakers from his cell in the high-security prison where he is serving a new nine-year sentence in an unrelated extortion case, and the Justice Ministry did not grant him leave to appear in the courtroom.
Producer IDTV Film lawyer Jens van den Brink argued the Dutch-language movie "The Heineken Kidnapping," which cost €4.7 million ($6.4 million) to make and stars Rutger Hauer as Heineken, is a fictionalized version of events. He said halting it days before its scheduled Oct. 24 opening in Amsterdam would be financially ruinous.
Holleeder, now 53, is not named in the movie, and filmmakers merged his character with that of another of the four real-life kidnappers — though one of the actors resembles Holleeder physically, right down to the prominent nose that prompted his nickname.
Holleeder's lawyers say the movie portrays the kidnappers as more violent than they actually were, and it will stymie Holleeder's attempts to reintegrate with society once he is released. They say he wants to be known for what he actually did, not as the character in the movie.
In an interview with Dutch press agency ANP, the film's director Maarten Treurniet said Holleeder's suit has no merit.
"In my eyes, he suffered the bulk of the damage to his reputation when he kidnapped Heineken: this is peanuts by comparison," Treurniet said. He said viewers will have more sympathy for the character that most resembles Holleeder than he deserves.
Court spokeswoman Annemieke Jeuring said judges will rule Friday.
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