Educational Media Reviews Online

Elwira Niewiera and Piotr Rosołowski's documentary about the rehearsal process for a production of a devised play relating the Ukrainian experience to Shakespeare's Hamlet tracks the emotional journey of the play's cast as they rehearse in Ukraine with the intent of taking the show to Poland. The film highlights trauma caused by the ongoing war in the Ukraine, from the civil unrest in the early 2010s to the climate leading to the current conflict with Russia, as well the traumas caused by other social issues of the day, including being homosexual in a repressive state and fighting for feminism.

Due to the manner in which the director forces the actors to confront their PTSD, there is an inherent conflict among the group, almost as though the depth of one's individual trauma is a competition. Rehearsals are often stalled by petty bickering, and anyone with a theatrical background would quickly recognize the toxicity of this particular process. We get a glimpse of the final product at the end of the film, and one has to assume that the actors experience a degree of catharsis, but one cannot be sure. It is poignant that we are told through expository intertitles at the end of the actors' experiences after the Russian invasion of 2022.

There are striking moments where the actors monologue about their experiences, and we are given access to their personal encounters with therapists, relatives, and others who alternately aid them in their healing or are the cause of or victims of their traumas. At times, the actors cannot continue in the exercises, but there are other moments where the recounting of their experiences are stunning and emotionally wrought.

The main issue, as alluded to above, is that the rehearsal hall seems to be an unsafe place emotionally for the performers as the process seems, to this reviewer, irresponsible-- there seems no one involved in the production trained to guide these people through their emotional trauma. In the theatre, there is a tendency, at times, for directors to push actors too far which can be psychologically damaging. This seems to be the case here.

As an examination of PTSD, The Hamlet Syndrome is very successful, if a bit voyeuristic. As an examination of the rehearsal process, the film is a master class in what not to do.

Awards:
Jury Prize, Documentary, Hong Kong International Film Festival; Best Documentary, Audience Award, Trieste Film Festival; Best Documentary, Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Award; Best Documentary, International Documentary Award, Adelaide Film Festival

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