Past screening

The Hamlet Syndrome

Directed by: Elwira Niewiera, Piotr Rosolow
Runtime: 1h 26min Certificate: 15

Details

Directed by: Elwira Niewiera, Piotr Rosolow
Runtime: 1h 26min Certificate: 15
Topics: Personal Stories
Last Screened: Sun 7th Apr 2024

A few months prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, five young women and men participate in a unique stage production that attempts to relate their war experiences to Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

For each of them, the stage is a platform to express their grief and trauma through the famous question ‘to be or not to be’, a dilemma that applies to their own lives. The protagonists fight against disappointment, powerlessness, and anger, trying to put their lives back in order while processing their painful past. The rehearsals for the play are combined with an intense glimpse into the characters’ lives: a powerful portrait of a generation coping with the trauma of war which now, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, is both their present and future.

Presented in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute London and Docudays UA as part of our Ukrainian Season: People Power. 

The screening on Sunday the 7th of April was followed by a Q&A with director Elwira Niewiera. Hosted by Director of Ukrainian Institute Olesya Khromeychuk.

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