There is something rotten in the state of Derry. Inspired by The Blair Witch Project, American Beauty and reality television, an innovative film adaptation of Hamlet has begun production in the maiden city. Directed by local actor Stephen Cavanagh of Derry Film Initiative in association with Orbit Theatre Company, the film will also feature an Irish translation of the Prince of Denmark's "to be or not to be" soliloquy. Although "a bheith ann, no gan a bheith? Is ∅ sin an cheist," isn't quite as catchy as the original.

Cavanagh, a graduate of the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin and the British American Drama Academy in Oxford, also stars in the film, which will present Shakespeare's most celebrated tragedy in an edgy documentary style.

"I've always thought that if Hamlet was around in this day and age, then he would be like the guy in American Beauty, taking his digital camera everywhere with him to observe as much as he could," he says.

The action will be catalogued as though the play's main characters are filming the scenes. Locations will include Derry's historic turreted walls and a graveyard. "Sometimes the audience will see things from Hamlet's perspective, but at other times they will see things from Polonius's or Horatio's point of view," he says.

The concept is lent authenticity by Hamlet's dying words to his friend Horatio, played by Tony Doherty, to "tell my story".

"The movie is based on the premise that Horatio takes his friend at his word and edits all the archive footage left behind to tell the story of what really happened at Elsinore," says Cavanagh. The first scenes have already been filmed in the Guildhall, where the Bloody Sunday Inquiry is sitting. Reporters were invited to see Claudius, played by James Lecky, perform the second scene of the play, in which he tries to persuade the Danes that all is well. The press conference will be part of the eventual production.

"By empowering the characters to record their perspective of events on camera, it justifies the existence of the footage. For the audience, it distorts the boundary between reality and fiction within the story," says Cavanagh. Co-producer Richard Hughes adds that the group toyed with the idea of using security cameras to film some of the scenes. "The city council are debating whether to install CCTV around the city, so we will be keeping an eye on that." Because of the low-maintenance style of the film, Cavanagh says sors for Hamlet in Derry, which they hope will get its premiere at the Foyle Film Festival in November.

Further information from Derry Film Initiative (048-7126 4869)