Mickey B is a world first, a feature film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, made with serving prisoners as cast, in Northern Ireland’s notorious maximum security prison HMP Maghaberry.
Set in the fictional private prison of Burnam, where gangs run the wings, violence and drugs are the common currency. Duncan, the number one drug dealer, is about to be released. Mickey B is the muscle collecting on his behalf.
The three witches take on the guise of three bookies, fixing the odds for their own ends. Ladyboy, Mickey B’s bitch, embodies the corrupting role of the queen of hate, scheming to reach the number one slot. Shot in hand held close-up with cold, razorblue filters, an unrelenting claustrophobic intimacy draws us into this dark world of ashen, scarred faces and tattooed flesh. Casual everyday violence, borne out of the prisoners’ first hand experiences, ensures gritty, authentic and visceral performances. The brutality of clipped street slang delivered at staccato pace punctuates the monotony of endless prison time. This is a Macbeth like no other.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A chaired by Professor Phil Scraton (QUB), with Director Tom Magilll and Sam McClean (Duncan).
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