Something is rotten in the state of the world!
One of the most striking parts of the 27th Ankara International Film Festival is the Hamlet selection “There are Rotten Things in the Earth”. As one of the most popular works by Shakespeare, whose works have been celebrated with various activities in several countries, particularly in England, on the 400th anniversary of his death, Hamlet is one of the many selections of the 27th Ankara International Film Festival. Shakespeare’s works influence as many people today as in the era they first came into life, which is exactly why Shakespeare is considered as an "timeless author." One of the reasons AIFF features Hamlet adaptations is the fact that Shakespeare’s works are still considered relatable even after 400 years as they reflect the basic emotions of the human nature. Having been staged for four centuries, Shakespeare's Hamlet has been adapted hundreds of times and continues to be adapted for both the silver screen and the stage.
HAMLET PRODUCING PLASTIC DUCKS
Within AIFF’s Hamlet compilation, six Hamlet adaptations will be available on the silver screen. The productions are considered eye-catching in terms of interpretation of the play, acting and shooting techniques. The first film to meet the audience is Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet released in 1948. Olivier's directing and acting in this award-winning film skilfully represents an individual who cannot cope with loss. Claude Chabrol’s Ophélia released in 1963 depicts Yvan’s imaginary world, inspired by Hamlet, blaming his mother and uncle for his father’s death. Based on Ivo Brešan’s play of the same name, produced in 1973, Acting Hamlet in the Village of Mrduša Donja, by Yugoslav Black Wave Movement’s notable director Krsto Papić, is one of the Hamlets that clash with the powers-that-be in a way that is both cynically comical yet anxious in its quest for the truth. In Hamlet Goes Business, Aki Kaurismäki tailors Hamlet to the present day as the successor of an industrial giant producing plastic ducks. While doing so, Kaurismäki uses class conflicts and blends it with the northern surreal humor. Kaurismäki’s Hamlet is a satiric interpretation of the act of legitimization of violence by the oppressed. Directed by Peter Kern, German theatre scene’s genius wild kid Christoph Schlingensief’s Hamlet – This is Your Family, documents the staging of the Hamlet by the neo-Nazi youth in the country, to criticize the apathetic behaviour of Switzerland against the rising racism and extreme rightist movements in the country. The selection also includes the film "The Angel of Vengeance: The Female Hamlet" by Metin Erksan, featuring Fatma Girik.
The Film, in which Girik overcame the unusual role professionally, became one of the cult pieces of Turkish cinema. Lyndsey Turner's Hamlet starred by Benedict Cumberbatch will also be on the screen during the festival.
Şule Türker