A Prayer Before Dawn

  • 116'
  • France
  • 2017

When English boxer and drug addict Billy Moore ends up in a notorious prison in Thailand, he has to fight not only for his life, but also against his inner demons. He finds an outlet for this by taking part in Muay Thai boxing tournaments. Based on Billy Moore’s bestselling memoires of the same title and filmed on location in Thailand’s Nakhon Pathom prison, A Prayer before Dawn is an extremely disquieting prison boxing drama.

That life in prison is no bed of roses has frequently been shown in films before. Nevertheless, the horrors uncompromisingly shown by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire really hit home. In the midst of all this extreme prison violence, Billy starts a romance with a lady boy and in boxing finds a way to survive. A Prayer before Dawn excels particularly in its tautly choreographed fight scenes and the cinematography of violent beauty – its focus on the physical allows us to feel every blow. 

Director
Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Countries of production
France, United Kingdom, USA, China
Year
2017
Festival Edition
IFFR 2018
Length
116'
Medium
DCP
Languages
English, Thai
Producers
Rita Dagher / Senorita Films, Roy Boulter / Hurricane Films, Sol Papadopoulos / Hurricane Films, James Schamus / Symbolic Exchange , Jennifer Dong
Production Companies
Senorita Films, Hurricane Films, Symbolic Exchange , Meridian Entertainment
Sales
HanWay Films
Screenplay
Johnny Hirshbein, Nick Saltrese
Cinematography
David Ungaro
Editor
Marc Boucrot
Production Design
Lek Chaiyan Chunsuttiwat
Music
Nicolas Becker
Cast
Joe Cole, Pornchanok Mabklang, Somluck Kamsing, Komsan Polsan, Sura Srimalai, Vithaya Pansringarm, Panya Yimmumphai
Local Distributor
The Searchers
Director
Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Countries of production
France, United Kingdom, USA, China
Year
2017
Festival Edition
IFFR 2018
Length
116'
Medium
DCP
Languages
English, Thai
Producers
Rita Dagher / Senorita Films, Roy Boulter / Hurricane Films, Sol Papadopoulos / Hurricane Films, James Schamus / Symbolic Exchange , Jennifer Dong
Production Companies
Senorita Films, Hurricane Films, Symbolic Exchange , Meridian Entertainment
Sales
HanWay Films
Screenplay
Johnny Hirshbein, Nick Saltrese
Cinematography
David Ungaro
Editor
Marc Boucrot
Production Design
Lek Chaiyan Chunsuttiwat
Music
Nicolas Becker
Cast
Joe Cole, Pornchanok Mabklang, Somluck Kamsing, Komsan Polsan, Sura Srimalai, Vithaya Pansringarm, Panya Yimmumphai
Local Distributor
The Searchers