LIFERS IN MOLDOVA PRISON PERFORM HAMLET

11 prisoners serving a life sentence in prison Nr.17 in Rezina Moldova, will premier their theatrical production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

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DETAILS: 11 prisoners serving a life sentence in prison Nr.17 in Rezina Moldova, will premier their theatrical production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Slug Life term prisoners premier hamlet in Moldova

Dateline Rezina Moldova, 15/09/2016

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“This production was supported by OPEN Media Hub with funds provided by the European Union”

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Filed TBC 16/09/2016 1200 GMT

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Story:

“The notion of time takes a different shape behind the bars, especially when you have a life sentence. 6615 detainees are spending their terms in Moldova, 110 of them are sentenced for life. The majority, 103 of them, are detained at the 17th Penitentiary in Rezina, the most secure prison in Moldova. But for the first time in Moldova, 11 life sentenced detainees from Rezina will play the Hamlet.

The majority of those involved in the theater project were imprisoned in the nineties, were imprisoned in the nineties, when they barely turned 18 and when Moldova was in the tops of crime rates, including among young offenders

The theatrical project from Rezina is conducted by the Arts Center COLISEUM together with the Department of Penitentiary Institutions from Moldova, at the initiative of the Norwegian Mission of Rule of Law Advisers to Moldova (NORLAM). The activity is financially supported by the EU-funded project “Support to the enforcement, probation and rehabilitation systems in Moldova” (EUTAP 4), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and NORLAM. “

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1/Shot list:

* Various exterior Prison 17, Rezina Moldova;

* Various entry prison corridors, cells doors;

* Main courtyard preparation for theater play;

* ITW with theater director;

* Speech by Minister of Justice, audience;

* Various of performance including “ to be or not to be”;

* ITW with inmate playing Hamlet;

* Various of end of play;

2/ Script:

00:00:00Prison number 17 is the most secure jail in Moldova, behind these walls, 103 inmates are serving life sentences, which in Moldova means life. Its one of the highest punitive justice system in Europe. With 33% of its inmates serving sentences of over 10 years, which is three times higher than the average in European countries.

The daily routine in this prison, is about to be transformed for one evening, the justice ministry has introduced Theatre therapy. New to the Moldovan prison system it aims to provide additional opportunities for rehabilitation for inmates.

Preparation are underway for the premier with 11 inmates serving life sentences taking the lead roles in the Shakespeare play Hamlet, staged by director Luminita Èšâcu:

01:04:02 Sound bite ( English): Director Luminita Èšâcu

“ Because the Moldovan society is quite traditional, yet, maybe its not Soviet style but its not yet European humanism, in Moldova we like to punish”01:22:06

The Moldovan Minister of justice Vladimir Cebotari, wants to make the prison system more humane, by developing policy for creative rehabilitation programs for the prisoners.

Sound bite Minister of Justice Vladimir Cebotari (Romanian)

01:34:07 “For them this is hope, (inmates) they are symbolic for us and for the other 8000 prisoners in our system”01:46:21

A shift of policy welcomed by director Tacu

01:50:00 Sound bite (English ): Director Luminita Èšâcu

“There is a will inside the system to improve, so we are happy to help, to help them to be more human, to be more in accord with European rules, and European vison and the system”02:11:10

With the support of the European Union, this shift in policy is welcomed by the detainees. For the 11 life serving inmates, a hope an opportunity for early conditional release from prison.

Live: (Romanian )

02:33:05 “To be or not Be “02:38:01

Hamlet is played by Sergiu Movilean, he was only 20 years old when he was sentences to life, he identifies to his character Hamlet and the play’s lesson, that revenge comes at price.

02:56:20 Sound bite (Romanian ): Sergiu Movilean

“If asks about life, we always have a choice, to be or not to be, life its not about suicide, rather to make the right decisions or not”03:12:09

For the 11 inmates this premier was an emotional culmination of 4 months of work, which they hope might help their rehabilitation, and possible early release.03:16:00

Further information available: http://www.norlam.md/libview.php?l=en&idc=96&id=888#.V9u8vGURqRs