Grand Theft Hamlet
Documentary, Hybrid / Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane / United Kingdom / 88 min / OmdU / 18+
It’s January 2021. The UK has just entered its 3rd lockdown and all theaters remain closed. For actors Sam and Mark, the future looks bleak. As the pandemic drags on, Mark, who lives alone, is increasingly socially isolated, while Sam is panicking about how he is going to support his family. They channel their midlife frustrations by immersing their avatars in the horrifically violent yet beautifully rendered virtual world of Grand Theft Auto Online. They steal cars and shoot strangers, but also find moments of calm reflection walking through meadows of wildflowers.
In one gaming session they stumble across a theater and have an idea. Why not stage Hamlet inside the game? Well, there are several reasons why not, chiefly that most people in the game are intent on murderous destruction, not polite appreciation of a theatrical production. But wasn’t theater just as dangerous and rowdy a business in Shakespeare’s time, and isn’t Hamlet–a play about revenge–the perfect choice for this place?
The film is shot entirely inside the world of Grand Theft Auto.
TW: Gun violence, Strong Languag
Filmtalk
What an unusual mix of genres! Composer Jamie Perera share the exciting behind-the-scenes of the film, which is set entirely in the GTA world - live from Los Santos.
