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16th DMZ Docs(2024)

I AM DOCU



Grand Theft Hamlet

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Pinny GRYLLS, Sam CRANE

  • UK
  • 2024
  • 91min
  • 15 +
  • DCP
  • color

Asian Premiere

Synopsis

Shot entirely inside the video game Grand Theft Auto, this documentary charts the hilarious and profoundly moving story of two out of work actors as they try to stage a full production of Hamlet within this notoriously violent digital world.

Review

Set against the UK's third pandemic lockdown, actors Sam and Mark find an unlikely stage within the virtual world of Grand Theft Auto Online. Amidst the game's chaotic crime-ridden streets, they discover a virtual theater and embark on a production of Shakespeare's "Hamlet," inviting a seasoned director, new to the game, to document their endeavor. In this digital world where violence is commonplace, performing "Hamlet" becomes both absurd and precarious. The performance faces constant disruption from gamers and a multilingual audience, transforming the existential "to be or not to be" into a practical "to play or not to play." This experimental film, shot entirely within the game, features in-game avatars as actors, blurring the lines between gaming, theater, and cinema. It injects theatricality into gameplay while reflecting real-world anxieties in a virtual setting. The result is a mix of humor, hope, and profound emotion. The film acknowledges the complex relationship between online and offline worlds. It recognizes the virtual realm's artistic potential while remaining grounded in physical reality. Importantly, it maintains a critical awareness that theater, gaming, and cinema, despite their convergence here, are distinct forms of expression.

Director

  • Pinny GRYLLS

    Born in the UK, 1978. Pinny Grylls is an award-winning HOH/deaf director and editor. Grand Theft Hamlet is her first feature-length documentary.

  • Sam CRANE

    Born in the UK, 1979. Sam Crane is an award-winning machinima video artist and actor. Grand Theft Hamlet is his first feature-length documentary.

Credit

  • ProducerRebecca WOLFF, Julia TON
  • Cast Sam CRANE, Mark OOSTERVEEN, Pinny GRYLLS, Jen COHN
  • Screenwriter Pinny GRYLLS, Sam CRANE
  • Editor Pinny GRYLLS
  • Music Jamie PERERA
  • Sound Jamie PERERA