SHAKESPEARE

Synopsis

Feature film emerging from the Dogme 95 manifesto and the first to be filmed outside Scandinavia in the English language. 10 tourists, travelling by bus in the Namibian desert, are stranded when the bus runs out of petrol. Jack, an Australian experienced in desert survival, sets off to find help. When he fails to return the group becomes anxious and ex-actor Harry, who has occupied himself writing down all he can remember from King Lear, suggests that they stage the play. In their despair the characters re-articulate Shakespeare’s vision of nothingness.

Language

English

Country

Denmark; Finland; Norway; Sweden; United States

Medium

Film

Technical information

Colour / Sound

Year of release

2000

Duration

109 mins; 9,877 feet

Credits

Director

Kristian Levring

Producer

Patricia Kruijer; Vibeke Windelov

Cinematographer

Jens Schlosser

Screenplay

Anders Thomas Jensen; Kristian Levring

Music

Derek Thompson (2)

Cast

Brian James	Ashley
Bruce Davison	Ray
Chris Walker	Paul
David Bradley	Henry
David Calder	Charles
Janet McTeer	Liz
Jennifer Jason Leigh	Gina
Lia Williams	Amanda
Miles Anderson	Jack
Peter Kubheka	Kanana
Romane Bohringer	Catherine
Vusi Kunene	Moses

Additional Details

Production type

Fiction Films

Plays

King Lear

Keywords

Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Amateur theatre

Notes

Reviews

Reviewed in Sight and Sound Vol. 11, issue 5, May 2001. p. 52-3. Scott-Douglass, Amy ‘Dogme Shakespeare 95: European Cinema, anti-Hollywood sentiment and the Bard’ in Burt, Richard & Boose, Lynda E. Shakespeare the Movie, II: Popularizing the Plays on Film, TV, Video and DVD (New York & London: Routledge, 2003), pp. 252-264

Production Company

Name

Danish Broadcasting Corporation

Name

Zentropa Entertainments

Distributor

Name

Pathe Distribution

Phone

020 7323 5151

Fax

020 7631 3568

Address

Kent House
Market Place
London
W1N 8AR

Distributor (Sale)

Name

Retail outlets