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Shylock

Director: Michal Shabtay
1999

A fresh and unexpected celebration of the richness of Shakespeare’s language and theatre in exploring the character of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice through his only friend, Tubal, promoted from his minor role (8 lines) to centre stage/screen.

This “one-man film” also conjures up a whole cast of other characters: from Portia to Pontius Pilate, from Antonio the merchant to Adolph Hitler, and from Dracula to the Wandering Jew. But it is Tubal, Shylock’s only friend, who is the main character.

Tubal charts–with a leer, a wink and a shrug–the evolution of the concept of Shylock through history, and traces intolerance towards the stranger in Europe. He talks about Shakespeare hirnself, about theatre, about xenophoby, about history and about ideas.

Credits

Cast / Shylock (Tuba Cahit Ölmez), Portia (Adelheid Roosen)
Regie / Michal Shabtay
Camera / Tarek
Licht / Victor Nieuwenhuis
Geluid / Harold Jalving
Muziek / Tadzio Daniel
Art Director / Billy Leliveld

Produced by / Annemiek van Gorp & René Goossens in coproductie met de Joodse Omroep, met Steun van Stimuleringsfonds Culturele Omroep Producties, CoBO fonds, Rotterdams Fonds voor de Film en audiovisuele media, Thuiskopie Fonds en Het Nederlands Fonds voor de Film.