Screening of South Indian and Tulu language film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Paddayi (The West) (dir. Amhaya Simha, 2018).

Set in the ‘Mogaveera’ fishing community in Karnataka, the film adapts Shakespeare’s play to represent a society struggling to maintain traditional cultures in the face of the lure of the ‘west’. Fisherman Madhava (Macbeth), is looking westwards for a better life, and Sugandi (Lady Macbeth), entranced by a ‘Dubai-imported’ perfume, illustrates the material realities of worlds in transition.

The film combines ravishing cinematography, compelling characterisation and captivating shots of the coastal landscape to stimulate reflection on the precarity of employment, diaspora and mobility. At the same time, Paddayi (The West) demonstrates how a familiar Shakespearean text can respond to contemporary experiences, not least through the representation of customs such as bhuta-kola (spirit dance) and yakshagana (theatre performance).

Followed by a Q&A with the director, this event showcases Shakespeare’s continuing relevance to debates about globalisation, migration and demographic change.

Contact: mark.burnett@qub.ac.uk

This is a socially distanced in person event. No booking required

https://beinghumanfestival.org/event/expanding-horizons-shakespeare-and-indian-cinema/