The Pact
Drama / 6 x 30' / HD, Airline, DVD, Non-Theatric
A KOHA Production for TVNZ
Betty Simpkins is a formidable seventy-something. She’s witty, sharp as a tack, and a pillar of strength for her family – but she’s also hiding a secret. Betty’s got advanced Alzheimer’s.
As Betty comes to terms with her diagnosis, she realises she wants to end her life on her terms, before she forgets her family, her own name, and even how to swallow. It’s devastating news for her family – her doting husband Frank, her delightful trainwreck of a daughter Isla, her overachieving adopted son Aaron, and her savagely funny granddaughter Alice.
The rest of the family are dealing with significant life events of their own – affairs, pregnancies, breakdowns – which Betty’s decision forces them to confront. But even though they may struggle, or even fundamentally disagree with her choice, they can agree (eventually) that it’s her right to choose. After all, she’s terminally ill, and declining rapidly.
But the real storm is yet to hit. Because Frank, who’s ailing but in no way dying, is about to decide that he can’t live without the love of his life…
Starring:
Irene Wood as BETTY (Go Girls, Young Hercules)
Ian Mune as FRANK (The Brokenwood Mysteries, The Letter For The King)
Bronwyn Bradley as ISLA (Mean Mums, Sweet Tooth)
Kirk Torrance as AARON (Mystic, Rurangi, Under The Vines)
Timmie Cameron as ALICE (The Gulf, Shortland Street)