SHAKESPEARE

Synopsis

A post-colonial version of Othello transposed to a remote Madagascan fishing village. Abela condenses the action into five characters and little is spoken. Souli (Makena) is a poet, only writing for himself. He lives with a younger woman (Antebi) who works in the village selling crafts. Tired of the exploitation of the fishermen by a brutish French trader Yann (Recoing), Mona develops a method of making ice which she gives to the village co-operative, thus threatening Yann’s monopoly. Yann plots to stop Mona’s scheme and discredit and destroy Souli. Yann’s mistress Abi (N’Diaye) embodies the Emilia figure, Carlos (Noriega) is a Cassio figure a student writing his thesis on Souli’s stories. In this version Mona is suffocated with a pillow, while Carlos and Yann flee, leaving Souli wordlessly communicating with Abi.

Language

French (Standard)

Country

France; Great Britain; Madagascar

Medium

Film

Technical information

Colour / Sound

Year of release

2003

Duration

94 mins

Availability

No archive copy or distributor found (2006).

Credits

Director

Alexander Abela

Producer

Alexander Abela; Duthoit. Christophe

Cinematographer

Joseph Areddy

Screenplay

Alexander Abela

Music

Deborah Mollison

Cast

Makena Diop	Souli (Othello)
Jeanne Antebi	Mona (Desdemona)
Eduardo Recoing	Yann (Iago)
Eduardo Noriega	Carlos (Michael Cassio)
Fatou N’Diaye	Abi (Emilia)

Additional Details

Production type

Fiction Films

Plays

Othello

Subjects

Drama

Keywords

Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Colonialism

Notes

Notes

French, Malagasy dialogue.

Reviews

Burnett, Mark Thornton ‘Madagascan Will: Cinematic Shakespeares/Transitional Exchanges in in Shakespeare Survey 61: Shakespeare, Sound and Screen (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008). p. 239-255.

Production Company

Name

Blue Eye Films