‘Macbeth in Compton’ is different

Hollywood, CA (News4usonline) – Page Kennedy is a big fan of hip-hop. He’s an even bigger fan of Old School West Coast rap music. Kennedy is so into the 1990s Compton and South Los Angeles music sound that he decided to create a film short as an homage to that particular genre. 

“My favorite time of rap music came from the 90s and in LA,” Kennedy said. “This is kind of like my love letter to them because I’m a huge fan of Ice Cube and N.W.A. and Easy [E] and that whole field. This is like my give back to them.”

Kennedy’s film, “Macbeth in Compton,” is an interesting artistic throwback to that particular place and time as Kennedy uses the platform of Shakespeare to convey the message he wants to get across in the movie short, which is just over 19 minutes long.

Kennedy showcased his film, along with production assistant Selam Seifu and composer Pakk Hui at the 2026 Dances With Films LA film festival at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California. The goal in making the film was simple, Kennedy said.  

“I wanted to introduce Black people to Shakespeare,” Kennedy remarked. “That was my inspiration, and I wanted to be able to do it in a way that I feel only I can do it by infusing hip-hop culture with the bar as well.”

Kennedy was introduced to Shakespeare during his formative years as a teenager. He’s been hooked since. 

“My background in Shakespeare…it started in high school. It was my first time seeing it,” Kennedy said. “And in college and junior college when I had to do it. I didn’t understand it, but then once I got into it, I got immersed in it. I fell in love with it. To this day, it’s still something that I pine for.” 

In making the film, Kennedy had to lift most of the weight, serving as writer, director and starring in the short as well. But “Macbeth in Compton” was far from being a solo project as the roles that Seifu and Hui had in shaping the project demonstrates this fact. 

Kennedy, Seifu and Hui all talked about the importance as independent filmmakers to have a platform such as Dances With Films LA to be able to showcase their work.  

“I think it’s important to show diversity, inclusion and to have something that is completely different and nuanced that people have an infinity for and to make it special,” said Kennedy. 

Hui added that the appeal of Shakespeare is something most everyone can relate to.

“I think the universal theme of Shakespeare is universal,” Hui went on to say. “It is important for us to kind of revisit these themes, and this is a great way to showcase these stories from a different lens than what we’re used to.” 

Seifu said bringing Shakespeare to the big screen is a great tool to use to get audiences more acclimated with Shakespeare.

“Shakespeare has been around for so long, and it’s still relevant, and to have all kinds of people understand Shakespeare in this lens that we are presenting it in is so incredible,” Seifu said. “All the stories told today were told like that.”