To Be Romeo and Juliet DVD

To Be Romeo & Juliet accompanies actors as they prepare to portray Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers in three different stage productions in three different countries. Emotional meltdowns, twisted ankles and cast mutinies are all part of what it takes to be Romeo and Juliet at a youth summer camp production in Guelph, Canada, an amateur production in Reading, England, and a professional production at the Chilean National Theatre.

Focusing on the lead actors, To Be Romeo & Juliet compares these three very different productions in terms of interpretation and process, and creates a vivid record of these individuals transforming themselves into the timeless, tragic lovers Romeo and Juliet. The result is a lively and evocative examination of theatre, acting, and love.

Cast: The film features the cast, director and crew of three stage productions of Romeo and Juliet: First Light Youth Theatre (Guelph, Canada), Progress Theatre (amateur production in Reading, England) and the Chilean National Theatre (Santiago, Chile). Principal participants include: Ricardo Fernandez, Maria Jose Parga, Fernando Gonzalez, Rebecca Pitt, and Ben Ashton.

Possible Worlds Film Festival, Sydney Australia:

Winner – Audience Award

Biannual Saskatchewan Showcase Awards:

Winner – Best Arts/Entertainment

Ruth Hessey – Time Out Sydney:

This film is a joyous experience, not just in its exploration of theatre, but of that old barnacle human nature.

Nicholas Pichard – Sydney Arts Journal:

Raw, revealing….sets the standard for arts documentary.

Lisa Greenaway – arts website The Program:

An illuminating peek backstage…. spending 100 minutes with the anxieties of these young actors would move stone.

Program of Possible Worlds Film Festival:

A fascinating journey for lovers of theatre, this engrossing documentary takes us from the drama of auditions to the thrill of opening night. The real drama is backstage of course, in the form of emotional meltdowns, ego trips, twisted ankles and cast mutinies. Yet as the charismatic actors transform themselves into the timeless, tragic lovers, the film becomes about something more than theatre, revealing our very attitude to love itself. From the nervous first kiss of adolescent actors to the sensual hiphop acrobatics of seasoned professionals, this is Romeo & Juliet as you’ve never seen it before.

Shane Hnetka, The Prairie Dog (Regina, Canada):

A raw, uncompromising look behind the scenes….capturing some incredibly intimate moments along the way.

Produced by Zima Junction Productions for SCN and Book Television. Made with the support of Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund, Rogers Documentary Fund, SaskFilm, Saskatchewan Filmpool Cooperative, JobStart/Futureskills, Saskatchewan Employment Tax Credit.