Jail Caesar

From Intro to the finishing line, a truly gripping work of art. I particularly liked the atmospheric opening poem. I am not ashamed to mention, it brought tears to my eyes. The combination of established actors and actual inmates in high security custody working together is a message in itself. The Inmates communicated freely with one another, which must have been so revolutionary and an amazing experience for everyone. The film communicates hope for people forgotten by society. Its gives a rare view of a world no one outside gets to see. Its so good to see all the usual barriers removed,and to such an extend. Well done! I hope we see more of this type of work in the future.

I learnt about this movie from an interview with Alice Krige on Youtube some time ago and it caught my eye, where I live it is had to get. After meeting Miss Krige at a movie con. event in London this October I decided to find out more about it and finally I got my hands on it, being in London at the time helped a lot. I watched it last night and here is my verdict of the film. This is an amazing movie, with some fantastic people. One of my big favourite actresses of all time, Alice Krige, makes an outstanding role in this film. The rest of the cast, with Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius) bringing all his stage and film experience to the limit. The story grips you from the start to the end and the angles, sound, and scene grips you straight into the story, the time flew very fast and not a minute lost. Not gonna tell you anything more about the story, not more than what you can read on IMDb as I wish not to give anything away. All I can say it is a must see!!

Jail Caesar is a challenging, authentic and brave film, made all the more so by the fact that ninety percent of the actors are inmates from three prisons in South Africa, the UK and Canada, playing alongside professional actors including Derek Jacobi and Alice Krige who also produced the film.

The film brings the story of Caesar to life through the eyes of both the men and the many women behind these men, and then firmly places the story in a contemporary setting where gangs rule and chaos is rife. Don't expect an easy ride. Jail Caesar is intense, however, it is also a moving interpretation of the last days of Emperor Caesar.

This is a film that takes collaboration to new heights as prisoners, prison governors, and actors drawn from the local communities, as well as A-list actors work together to create a film that is so much more than the sum of its parts. Further, it is a astounding example of how working with prisoners can highlight the immense talent to be found amongst non-professionals.

Written and directed by Paul Schoolman, the film is multi-layered, using split-screen effects, sound and performance to create an immersive and sensitive work. It's no mean feat to catapult the days of the Roman Empire and life in the first century BC into the 21st century, but Jail Caesar succeeds in taking inspiration from key events and creating parallels with modern-day gang culture.

As 1st Baron Acton famously remarked in the 19th century, 'Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.'

Jail Caesar is a powerful, emotional experience.

What an amazing film and piece of work, so gripping in so many ways. A must see for the film enthusiast. Something I have never seen before. The prisoners and actors were gripping in this unique piece. To see where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned was an eye opener for me. For these guys to have combined all the elements of prison and real life actors was incredible. Well done to the cast, production and crew, I salute you for your brave efforts in bringing this film to light. The raw and gritty feeling you get when you watch this film, leaves the mind to wander what it must be like living within the confines of prison cells. There are plenty similarities in this film to the way thing were then, and the way things are now.

'String Caesar' is a unique and powerful piece of work. The men have been empowered by this revolutionary Director,(Schoolman)to improve their lot in life,spiritually and physically. They have responded and have repaid the faith invested with maximum effort. An opportunity for most of the prison cast to realise that living life does not have to involve the sacrifice of liberty. Creativity has been found in a place that society often regards as the the last place to look. Drama and theatre are underused resources in our places of incarceration, String Caesar and Schoolman are champions of the cause. There is not one individual involved that cannot be seen to benefit from this production. There have been efforts made by others using the medium of prison and prisoners. To date, there is nothing to touch this.