Hunger
Part of the BAMcinematek series Focus on IFC Films
Fri, Mar 6 at 6:50pm
Directed by Steve McQueen
With Michael Fassbender, Stuart Graham
(2008) 96min
This harrowing, hauntingly beautiful film takes place inside the prison in Northern Ireland where, in 1981, Bobby Sands led incarcerated IRA members in protests against British authorities which culminated in a hunger strike. Visual artist McQueen is startlingly unconventional in his storytelling: point of view shifts between prison officers and inmates instead of remaining with a single protagonist, while bold stylistic flourishes, including a 20-minute static shot of a conversation with a priest, surprise. Distilling its ideas into stunningly-composed, visceral images—close-ups of an emaciated Sands, the bloodied knuckles of a guard, a prisoner’s glistening head wound, or a cell wall painted with excrement—Hunger is endlessly provocative, blunt in its depiction of the violence perpetrated by both sides, and reflective in its consideration of the complexity of the conflict.
The Guardian UK on Hunger
"This is a powerful, provocative piece of work, which leaves a zero-degree burn on the retina." More
Time Out on Hunger
"Imagine how most filmmakers would tell this story and then see Hunger: the differences are bold and powerful and restore faith in cinema’s ability to cover history free from the bounds of texts and personalities." More