Samuel Beckett’s ‘rules’ for the performances of his plays are well known in theatre, so it’s hard to imagine his response to this comic, feel-good adaptation of the real life story of Swedish actor Jan Jonson’s attempt to coach prisoners into a performance of Waiting for Godot. In this French language film, shambolic actor Étienne, whose dreams of stage glory have faded, brings his unruly bunch of prisoners face to face with Beckett’s play, yielding some great performances and personal discoveries in the process.

Notes by Alicia McGivern