the Athens International Film and Video Festival allows others a chance to see independent and unique filmmaking from all over the world.
One such film
Hunger tells the true story of Bobby Sands an imprisoned member of the Irish Republican Army who went on a hunger strike in 1981. The strike protested the British government's mistreatment of Northern Ireland. The film also covers Sands' time in jail during the No Wash Protests.
Director Steve McQueen's goals go far beyond simply recreating the story of Bobby Sands. McQueen
a noted video artist making his feature film debut
is clearly making an art film
one that attempts to show the brutality of prison. McQueen's camera is unflinching as it takes viewers into a prison where both inmates and guards feel their humanity being stripped away.
This bleak effect is increased with the sparsity of the dialog. Most scenes are free of people expressing their points loudly
instead relying on the actions of the film to convey the message. The words of the characters
whenever they are spoken
are mostly unimportant
another sound effect to fill the space of the brutal prison the
characters are in.
The large exception to this standard is the 20-minute scene when the hunger strike is planned. The majority of this scene is accomplished in one static take conveying the importance of this conversation. It also highlights the incredible performances of the two actors in this scene
who never seem to struggle carrying on a conversation that starts out small and trivial and ends with Sands' knowing the possible fatal consequences of what he's about to do. Michael Fassbender
