The remarkable true story of Billy Moore, a young English boxer incarcerated in two of Thailand’s most notorious prisons. He is quickly thrown into a terrifying world of drugs and gang violence, but when the prison authorities allow him to take part in the Muay Thai boxing tournaments, he realizes this might be his chance to get out. Billy embarks on a relentless, action-packed journey from one savage fight to the next, stopping at nothing to do whatever he must to preserve his life and regain his freedom. Shot in a an actual Thai prison with a cast of primarily real inmates, A Prayer Before Dawn is a visceral, thrilling journey through an unforgettable hell on earth.
STARRING | Joe Cole (Peaky Blinders, Black Mirror)
DIRECTED BY | Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire
WRITTEN BY | Jonathan Hirschbein, Nick Saltrese
PRODUCED BY | Nicholas Simon, Roy Boulter, Sol Papadopoulos
Director Jean-Stephane Sauvaire said the following in what attracted him to do the movie:
Firstly, the fact that it was a true story, the authenticity, Thailand, boxing, the prison world, and above all, Billy Moore’s character—fascinating in his contradictions, in his inner conflicts, and in all his complexity. It was Rita Dagher who first spoke to me about this project and offered me the screenplay that she was producing with Hurricane Films. I then read the book [A Prayer Before Dawn: A Nightmare in Thailand], which is Billy’s story from his childhood to his release from prison. After that, I met Billy in Liverpool and was instantly drawn to him. He is extremely sensitive, despite the extreme violence that seems to inhabit him.
Director Sauvaire said in an interview, that he was attracted to “A Prayer Before Dawn” saying that he [Billy] was very involved in the script writing, but he also gave us a lot of freedom. He was a point of reference when we were stuck. [Screenwriter] Johnny Hirschbein and I often called Billy while we were writing to ask him how he had reacted in such or such a situation. His input was fascinating as it accentuated the authenticity that I was looking for and allowed me to distance myself from a pure genre film. Above all, his experience allowed us to tell the story of how a man who finds himself alone, and a foreigner in a Thai prison—an extreme environment in which he doesn’t fully understand the codes, rules, or even the language—and how boxing helps him to evolve and change.