ABSTRACT
Making a ®lm adaptation of Macbeth, with the `godfathers' of Maghaberry Prison was a risky idea, and anyone who has ever attempted anything risky inside a prison soon learns all about prison staff resistance. Maximumsecurity prisons are risk averse. Fear and distrust are the dominant motivations that underlie almost every decision. Daily airtight procedures produce a monotony that numbs the senses in the name of safety. Fatalistic negativity pervades. Naysayers outnumber yea-sayers. Within this world, authoritarianism breeds dependence and resistance that frequently end in destruction.
