‘Rolling’

David as an Iraqi soldier

From day one, the extras were advised not to approach the film director, Lee Tamahori, apparently because he’s renowned as not being too easy to deal with. One day after lunch, while the extras were walking back towards the set, I tested the crowd marshals’ instructions and went close to Tamahori, asking for a picture. He firmly replied, “No way!”

A friend of mine, who was working at the hotel where the film crew was staying, shared some impressions. The film crew were overly authoritative and quite pretentious at times. Lee Tamahori seemed a very quiet and shy person to talk to. The director, on his arrival, told the hotel staff: “My next job will be producing a film, so, if I need extras, I’ll be sure to let you know”.

‘Background action’
On set, one of the extras who is an avid film enthusiast told me that Lee Tamahori is the son of a Māori. Another interesting fact is that the director started his career working his way up from the bottom as a boom operator, then as a photographer, before gaining a foothold on the ladder in the film industry.

Tamahori is notoriously regarded by several film critics as the director with a bizarre behaviour who possesses “two personalities”. A murky affair in 2006 in a Santa Monica Boulevard and a resulting court case seem to surface when one Googles him. Nevertheless, on set, observing the film maker was really inspiring. He is one of the most creative film directors I have ever seen during my “extra” experiences. Tamahori is so hands-on, and his energy is outstanding and he really managed to pull all the crew together.

‘Quiet Please’
I got to know Latif Yahia, the real life body double of Saddam Hussein’s son Uday whose life was turned into a Hollywood film. When Latif returned to Malta, he brought me a signed copy of his autobiographical novel. Latif and I talked about the issue of how his birth land Iraq is portrayed in the media which gives a picture of an exaggerated hell on earth. Latif is very proud of where he comes from and of his origins. I enjoyed listening to him when he spoke to me about Iraq, which in ancient times was known as Mesopotamia, with its magnificent capital, Babylon. Latif Yahia emphasised that Iraq was once the cradle of civilisation.

‘Action’
Why is Dominic Cooper, who plays both Uday Hussein and Latif Yahia in the film famous? He rose to fame playing the character, Sky, in the film version of Mamma Mia! The Greenwich born actor, on set, was so down to earth, and his pleasant personality was prominent. What struck me most in Dominic Cooper was that stereotypical British sense of humour. Many times, between shots, he played sarcastic and funny jokes with his fellow actors and the film crew. Once, I asked Dominic Cooper for an autograph, and he ironically replied, “I’m not humble all the time but I’m not conceited, either.” Even though he was undoubtedly the star of the film, Cooper was always approachable.

‘Cut’
Having a male actor being portrayed as a sex object, even though male sex symbolism has been around since the beginning of the 20th century during the silent film era is not the norm. Generally, Hollywood’s films are characterised by sexual images of appealing women. Though, Dominic Cooper is somehow subverting this trend.

On several occasions I hung out with Cooper’s younger brother James and some other crew. Whenever we met Dominic Cooper, girls chased him wherever he went. Cooper will surely remember Malta for its vivid nightlife, and for the sun and the sea.

‘Coming Soon’
Working as an extra broadens the mind, in the sense that you meet people of different cultures, you are outside and not glued to a laptop, and it may open new doors….. Hence, I cannot wait until I get the next call: “Hello David, are you available to work as an extra on xxxxx film”? (Yes please!)

The author wishes to thank Jean Pierre Borg, Nigel Micallef and Keith Preble for helping with queries and proof reading.
Photos: courtesy of David Carabott. Top photo was taken on set in Pembroke.

Cedric Vella is a name you’ll be hearing more of in years, if not months to come.  I first heard of Cedric when I saw a tweet about his short film called “YouTube, My Facebook” (watch it below).  I was immediately mesmerised by the charm and clever wickedness of the piece.   The two-minute clip went quickly viral on social media and has just won an award at the Palo Alto International Film Festival.  Cedric is proof that living on a small island doesn’t have to be about limitations.  So long as you’ve the belief to see your dreams through. 

We caught up with Cedric recently over a beer in the garden to chat about his craft as a visual creative artist. 

I always wanted to work in the music industry.  I talked myself into a job at Temple Studios without any clear job description.  But I was prepared to do whatever was needed.   I’d make tea for the bands and hoover the dust off the equipment; more often than not, you’d find me retrieving lost knobs from the vacuum bag the following day! Talk about getting your hands dirty and working your way up from the bottom.

I am the product of a DIY culture.  Much of what I know about design, technology, music, video and 3D animation I learnt by doing.  Sure, I still went to university and got a communications degree.  In fact, I’d started out on a science degree first but decided I didn’t want to spend my life in a lab coat. There’s nothing wrong with formal education, except that it doesn’t necessarily help you think or be creative.  Or know how to execute a project.  In Malta, we do education by rote – there is little to prepare you for being streetwise.  Take Facebook – you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to realise that it offers great opportunities for networking, but that it’s not OK to share everything with everyone.

Sometimes you need to push the envelope a little bit.  In 2010 I tried  a video prank in the style of Remi Galliard. Simple stuff, just me on a deckchair sunbathing in a public space.  We just chose unlikely places – the airport concourse, the Sliema front and finally we went to Valletta. In the airport, this guy drove into the back of another car to have a good gawp. Just our luck, the trip to Valletta coincided with a festa, so I got jostled a bit by the police when they spotted me in my deckchair putting on the suntan lotion in front of Cafe Cordina, right on the festa procession route. You learn a lot about the fabric of your society when you set up in front of the law courts and tune into the comments of the passers-by. The majority of bystanders assumed I was foreign.  Many told me to go back home to ‘my country’.  Perhaps it was the white socks that did it. You can see the end result in this link.

I filmed ‘YouTube, my Facebook’ over one and a half months.  That’s the time to script, write some music around a sample, press-gang my friends into the project and film.  Most of the production work was done in my bedroom. I bought realms of green cloth which I draped on a metal rod for the backdrop.   It was a race against time, as my laptop was dying on me.  None of my friends had any idea of what I was up to, until they saw the final piece.  They just trusted me and went along with it without asking any questions.

I’d posted the clip on a couple of blogs, including Talent House, and then forgot all about it.  Were it not for a friend seeing a Google Alert on the winning entry, I wouldn’t have known about the award.  I’m off to San Francisco for the award ceremony on the 29th September.

I’m a typical product of Maltese society in some ways.  I’m only now moving out into my own place.  On the other hand, we’re a practical bunch deep down, with a survivor instinct.

In my case, that one short film has opened up creative opportunities for me that I could only have dreamt of a couple of years ago.  I’ve just finished another project for a bike company and haven’t slept in two weeks.  We were working with 47 kilos of bikes all shipped to Malta for us to play around with creatively.  It was total mayhem but I’m really happy with the end product.  There’s something edgy about it – the soundscape, the editing  of the moving parts, an alternative way of looking at everyday technology.

YouTube and Facebook are tools that have opened many doors for me.  I wake up in the morning and I go and do what I love.  I still cannot understand why people let themselves drift into or remain in jobs that clearly make them unhappy when we spend so much of our lives working.   I know people put you down when you have dreams.   I just always knew mine weren’t about suits and ties and the nine to five.  I get my creative kick from doing what I do every day.

People have been forced to flee their homes due to war and persecution for centuries. Sadly, this reality continues today with over 43 million people currently finding protection far away from their homes, whether in other regions of their own countries or in other countries. Most of the refugees still live in developing countries, with more than half the refugees in the world living in Asia and 20 percent living in Africa.

A number of people head towards Europe, unable to find true protection in countries along the way. Malta, like many nations, has always offered protection to refugees from around the world. From 2001, the number of people asking for protection here has increased – with the majority of asylum seekers fleeing from Libya by boat due to the harsh realities faced there.

The idea behind the documentary ‘Suspended Lives’ is to give forcibly-displaced people a chance to tell their stories in their own words. While volunteering for the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Malta, offering legal support to asylum seekers, I spoke to the staff there and shared with them the idea of making this production. Roberta Buhagiar, one of the JRS lawyers, joined the project with enthusiasm and we both asked around for people who would like to share their testimonies with us in front of a camera. This is never an easy step for someone who has been through extreme experiences, been persecuted in their home country and may have seen family members brutally killed. It is not easy to sit in front of a camera and talk about events which shattered your life.

Along the way, we were lucky to encounter many people and organisations who believed in this production and contributed their talents out of goodwill, such as Australian composer David Lazar, Italian journalist Fabrizio Gatti, Spanish photographer Olmo Calvo Rodriguez, AFM Major Ivan Consiglio, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the PBS archives department, graphic designer Dan Cassar, soundman Steve Theuma, and the renowned Maltese director Tony Parnis. We are indebted to them.

The heart of this production lies in the courageous and wonderful people who not only shared their experiences with us, but also their humanity. They went beyond simply telling their stories. They shared their fears, their hopes and their dreams. Listening to them allowed us, and hopefully you as the viewer, to get a glimpse into what it means to be a refugee. Of course, the 75 minute running time is far from enough to tell the story of a life time, let alone six or seven.

However, we hope that people will be able to come away from this documentary with a better idea of the refugee experience – the often brutal realities that make people flee their homes, the treacherous travels they must undertake (stories of the harsh realities faced in Libya are particularly relevant to us here in a neighbouring country), and also the difficulties faced once they arrive in Malta.

While ‘Suspended Lives’ will not answer all the questions people may have on the issue of asylum, it may encourage us to seek answers beyond the dark room of the cinema – perhaps directly from refugees themselves. Once politics and pre-conceptions are taken out of the equation, one finds that refugees are people like us with similar hopes, dreams and fears – but often with a history of suffering which is hard to for most of us to imagine. After the barriers and labels are removed, you might find that you have met not refugees but a fellow human beings and, hopefully, friends.

See the film
The next screenings (which are free of charge) of ‘Suspended Lives’ are:

Thursday, 9 June 2011 at 7pm – University Chaplaincy, Msida.
Sunday, 19 June 2011 at 7pm – St James Cavalier, Valletta.

Further info: see www.suspendedlives.org
For an opinion on the film, and to see how it is being received, see this opinion here.

Photo: Andrew Galea Debono

Simshar – Teaser Trailer

Simshar, the boat, went missing in July 2008 with its crew – three Maltese fishermen, the 11-year-old son of the captain, and a Somali man. The boat had exploded, leaving one survivor; what happened is shrouded in mystery. Now, Simshar, the movie, using the event as the catalyst, is Malta’s first, homegrown, full-length feature film for an international audience. Its young director and joint scriptwriter Rebecca Cremona charts a course through issues of immigration, love and politics. With the prospect of boatloads of irregular migrants crossing the Mediterranean as the Libyan crisis unfolds, her script has more resonance today than she first realised. The teaser trailer got over 7,000 hits in four days of going (virally) public. Here, Rebecca gives MaltaInsideOut a privileged insight into perhaps why.

Q. Give us a synopsis of Simshar, the film?
Simshar is a three-tiered story. There is the story which is inspired by the events that occurred on that ill-fated boat, the Simshar. This story thread also touches upon the fishing community in Malta, and the pull between tradition and modernity which this community, and indeed the entire country, is faced with.

Also related to this tradition-modernity tension, is the love story. This plot revolves around the relationship between a Maltese soldier and an Eritrean migrant. The intermingling of the personal and the political are key to this narrative, and it is this concept – that political forces larger than any one government, inform and sometimes dictate, very personal aspects of our lives – which is the crux of the entire film.

To represent the ‘politics’, is the strand which is inspired by various immigration rescues and political debates between countries over migration. In this story, a group of migrants is rescued by a merchant vessel. Crew and migrants are stuck on the vessel for days, as Malta and Italy debate over who should take them.

The three strands unfold and increasingly intertwine to disastrous effect.

I would like to stress the word ‘inspired’. This film is a fiction film, not a documentary. It is not intended to replicate any of the myriad of events which were plucked out of real occurrences. Neither does it presume to have a solution for the complex issue. Furthermore, the characters in the film have been drawn to serve the story and its themes, not to provide a true to life portrait.

The goal of this film is to explore a very complex issue – that of migration from Africa to Europe. The stories it is inspired by, I found to be the ideal vehicles for this purpose.

Q. The trailor is our only glimpse so far into your narrative. Its use of North African music overlaid on scenes so clearly depicting Catholic Malta already jolts the viewer. What did you intend to provoke in us with the trailor?
Your comment about the music is very interesting. Indeed we are depicting Malta and its Catholic traditions, which are still very central to village life, as well as the African cultural influence of the migrants. The juxtaposition of these two cultures, which sometimes clash and at other times complement each other, is the fundamental context of the film.

However, when it comes to the music especially, it is not as simple as all that. Maltese music – like Maltese language, food, architecture and other cultural aspects – is heavily influenced by African culture. So, for example, the music in the trailer which plays over the underwater sequence and the final sequence, is a Maltese piece. And yet from what I can gather from comments and blogs about the trailer, is being perceived by Maltese as Arabic.

Now, the piece of music in question was written by Ruben Zahra – a Maltese Folklore expert. The voice, which was later designed by Aleksandar Bundalo – a fantastic sound designer of Serbian origin who has worked locally for several years – is actually ‘singing’ lyrics by Trevor Zahra. The song is very Maltese, but like most Maltese artifacts, includes an endemic Arabic influence derived from history.

In terms of the intention of the trailer, this is a teaser trailer. Its function is to help us raise money for the actual film, which has not been made yet. In light of this, our intention was to show the feel of Malta (especially given the fact that the majority of the potential investors are foreign), the cinematic potential of the story, and our ability as a team. More than information about the narrative, it is meant to convey a feel which will hopefully intrigue the viewer to know more!

Q. What reaction are you seeking to provoke in the audience – both local and international – with Simshar?
My intention for both local and foreign audiences is the same: I would like to bring to screen a compelling, human and humane story which provokes thought about a complex issue. Invariably, there will be a differences in the way these audiences view the film. I can only hypothesise, but I guess that due to the local audience’s experience of irregular migration and opinion about the ‘Simshar’ tragedy, it is more likely they treat it as a documentary, rather than a dramatic piece in its own right. Although this is not ideal, it is understandable. When the opening shot of ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ shows the Grand Harbour, and says ‘Marseille’ underneath, the local audience finds it hard to separate the reality of the film from that of everyday life…

Shooting the trailer, 2010

Q. What are your hopes for the film?
I really hope we get to make this film, in the way we would like to make it. Unfortunately, the film industry is a tough place and in this economic climate, all the more so. However, I am hopeful – we have a talented team and a very important story. And if the response to the teaser trailer is anything to go by, we’re on the right track.

Q. Rebecca Cremona and who? Can you tell us a bit about the core team behind Simshar? The local talent involved?
I am so glad that you asked this question. Film is such a group effort, and although I believe that a strong individual vision is necessary I cannot stress enough how essential a good team is. In fact, many prominent filmmakers work with the same teams over and over again, a fact which is testament to the team members’ integral importance.

I have worked more than once with every core team member involved in Simshar, and there is a reason for that. I would love to go through them individually here but know we’re limited on space! I would like to mention my co-writer David Grech: I never thought I would be able to write with anyone but myself. Then David and I started discussing the script, and his insight and ideas were so valuable that I had to bring him on board. The script is the film’s foundations, and his input is invaluable. Many people were involved in the creation of the trailer, and I would encourage people to look at the credits. We have a lot of talent in Malta…

Q. What else should we have asked you?
Weere anyone intereted in investing in the film can contact me! The answer to that question is: info@simsharthefilm.com. I would like to thank those who already support the film, namely: River Dream Productions, The Malta Film Fund, Xtreme Effects, Air Malta, and Bank of Valletta.

Rebecca Cremona, film director and scriptwriter, has packed a lot into life so far. She studied comparative film and literature at the University of Warwick in the UK and went on to do her second degree in film directing at the American Film Institute and Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. A short film she completed in early 2009, ‘Magdalene’ (trailer here), won her a Student EMMY and a Director’s Guild of America student award. Simshar, the movie starts filming later this year

Photos & trailer: courtesy the team at Simshar

Rebecca Cremona, 26, film director and scriptwriter, has packed a lot into life so far. She studied comparative film and literature at the University of Warwick in the UK and went on to do her second degree in film directing at the American Film Institute and Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. A short film she completed in early 2009, ‘Magdalene’ (trailer above), won her a Student EMMY and a Director’s Guild of America student award.

Rebecca is back on the Islands to tackle some contentious, contemporary issues in a Malta she feels is still finding its way post colonialism. Her project will be Malta’s first, home-grown, full-length feature film for the international market. Here, Rebecca lets us into her world, which she says is not all tinsel but more hard graft and determination. Here’s her story, ‘uncut’, in her own words.

1. When did you realise that film for you was more about doing than watching?
Whenever I am asked this question I remember a girls’ night when I was 16. We were watching ‘The Insider’ and the girls were chatting, nibbling away on snacks, and swooning over Russell Crowe. I was far more boring, and simply sat in front of the TV watching the film intently. One of the girls asked me what was capturing my attention. I told her it was the reflection on the car and how precisely it interacted with the camera and actor movement.

She looked at me stunned, called me a freak (rightly so), and still makes fun of me till this day. I think it’s safe to say that although at the time I knew I was into film – all my pocket money went on film magazines, video rentals and cinema tickets – it was at that point that I realised my interest was more than just a hobby. In fact, it is very rare for me to get engrossed in the story of a film. I am more likely to analyse its building blocks – the performance, editing, cinematography etc. Also, ‘makings of’ and interviews with filmmakers were always a very important aspect of a film for me – some times more interesting than the film itself!

2. What draws you to the medium?
What I love about film is that it’s a combination of art forms: literature, photography, music, acting, painting, philosophy…the list is endless. Through a film you create a little universe in more ways than one. First and foremost you are creating a universe on the screen, but even the work environment of every film is a unique universe within itself. Every film is a different experience you plunge into – from the subject matter you’re dealing with to the cast and crew who you are surrounded by.

I also love the fact that films – the mainstream ones at least – are watched all over the world. I remember going to the Galapagos where ‘Armageddon’ saved me from lack of conversation, because it was the only tangible thing in common I shared with a local. I suppose what I am saying is that it is film’s diversity which draws me to it. Of course the diversity also means that it is not the most stable of mediums to work within, however it is worth the risk in my opinion.

3. What films are special to you.
I always find it difficult to make a short list because there are so many different reasons to love a film. But I’ll try…
Y tu mama tambien – for me this film is entertaining, intelligent and very well done.
‘Monsoon Wedding’ – no matter how often I watch it, it moves me.
‘Spirit of the Beehive’ – I’ve never seen anything quite like the haunting atmosphere it manages to create.
‘In the mood for love’ – just an incredibly beautiful film.
‘The Diving Bell and the Butterfly’ – a story which gives you insight into what it is to be a human being, for better and for worse.
‘Thelma and Louise’ – a genre film which defies genre, very clever.
Then there are films which on a rational level I do not think are all that great, but for some reason they resonate with me. Examples of this would be ‘Stealing Beauty’ and ‘Great Expectations’ (Cuaron’s version).

As a general rule it is fair to say that I gravitate more towards art house and independent films, however, I still watch, and for the most part enjoy, mainstream cinema. I found ‘The Hangover’ hilarious, for instance.

4. Tell us about your first big break
Making a film is creatively, logistically and financially difficult. Because of this, every film you make which allows you to step up one ring of the ladder is a big break. Your first film is important because it will always remain your first film. The film that gets you into film school is important because it is likely to be taken as a foundation piece. The film that gets you into your first film festival will introduce you to the joys and torments of your primary bloodline – your audience. The film that gets you your first award is likely to spearhead your identity as a filmmaker. Then of course there are films which are more important to you personally than they are to anyone else and vice versa. I feel the need to go on this little tangent because becoming a filmmaker is a long process, and it is important to appreciate the importance of each step otherwise it is easy to give up or take short cuts which might do more harm than good.

If I were to answer your question directly I would say ‘Magdalene’ (see trailer above). Magdalene is a short film which I completed in the beginning of 2009. I consider it to be the ‘big break’ because it got me some prestigious awards, including a Student EMMY and a Director’s Guild of America student award. Just as important, it was picked up for distribution, so it will have a shelf life of seven years across different platforms (TV, iTunes, cinema etc) worldwide.

Rebecca Cremona and crew on the set of Magdalene

5. What was Los Angeles like – Tinseltown or a Tough town or both?
Definitely both. The good thing in L.A is that everyone is in the filmmaking business – from the waiter who brings you your coffee, to the big shot exec in the jaguar stopped by your side at a red light. Because you are surrounded by the industry at all times, and the turn around of work is so frequent, it feels like making films is a very normal thing to do, and indeed making them is easier due to the availability of resources.

The bad thing there is the same as the good one – that everyone is in the filmmaking business! Sometimes this makes you feel like you’re one in a sea of thousands, which you are. But many will tell you, to make it, or even simply survive, in the film industry it is not enough to be talented, you need to have the right attitude and a lot of resilience. And although it is necessary to surround yourself with people in the industry, it is equally necessary to mingle with those who have nothing to do with it – both as a source of inspiration and as a means of regaining perspective. For there certainly is Tinsel, and when it’s showered on you it’s important to remember it’s just tinsel.

6. You are embarking on what will be the first, full-length feature film for the international market made by a Maltese director/scriptwriter. Why choose a Malta story to tell? What draws you back here?

I get really annoyed when people say that being Maltese is a disadvantage in the grand scheme of things. I think in an increasingly globalised world, in which cultures are merging sometimes into a faceless molten pot, it is important for us to explore, express and safeguard our particular identity. It is also the thing which allows us to have an edge over countries with populations of millions, as cultural uniqueness is becoming an increasingly rare feature.

In fact, one of the strongest factors which made me want to be a filmmaker was that I wanted to tell and show Malta. Most imminently for nostalgic purposes – the Malta of my childhood is disappearing a little every day and being buried by buildings which look like computer renderings.

But on a more fundamental level, I really feel that we still have a post-colonial identity crisis, which we haven’t addressed. So although I read my first degree in England, and my second degree in Los Angeles, the intention was always to come back and tell a Maltese story. I think through the arts (and very prominently, architecture) we can discover this identity and explore what its contemporary expression is. When one thinks of Malta we think of the legacy of the Knights or the rural scenes captured by Edward Caruana Dingli, and this is all well and good. But it’s about time that we have a strong contemporary counterpart to that which is Maltese, and not an imported generic ‘modernity’.

7. Who have been your mentors on the way?
There’s a reason why award acceptance speeches are so long, and that’s because the amount of guidance and support filmmakers absorb is huge! But I’d love to take this opportunity to express my appreciation of peers, mentors and all those who’ve been supportive of my career so far.

Of course without the faith and support of my parents I would have never had the opportunity to follow my passion. Spielberg and his crew (my first proper set experience was on ‘Munich’) have been essential in advising me and giving me continued training and support. The faculty at Art Center are absolutely incredible, and although I never went to the University of Malta, the Film department here has been extremely helpful. I am happy to say, that this goes for most of the other local institutions, like the film commission and the film fund. Additionally, Bank of Valletta and Air Malta are sponsoring the feature film which is currently in development. All this support – infrastructural, educational, and moral – is so vital. Just the other day I was injected with the means, energy and morale to move forward by a woman who has nothing to do with film, but who simply believes in film and the work my crew and I are doing. I will be eternally grateful to her. As I am for the support of many others.

It's all in the eyes - powerful scenes in the LUX prize films (still from 'Sturm')

The European Parliament office in Malta is holding a Contemporary European Film series over three evenings, 4 – 6 May, celebrating winning entries in the European Parliament’s LUX Prize.   Films start each day at 18.30 and run for around 1.5 hours.  Wine and food is served after the event, and admission is free. With numbers limited to 70, and allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, do book (see below for details).

What is the LUX Prize?
Awarded by the members of the European Parliament, the LUX Prize honours a film which illustrates particularly well the universal nature of European values, cultural diversity and the European integration process. The LUX Prize consists of assistance in kind in the form of subtitling and video-to-film transfer (kinescopage) of the winning film in the 23 official EU languages as well as an original language adaptation for the deaf and hard of hearing. For more info on the LUX09 Cinema Prize and on the movies to be shown, click here.

The Films showing…
The films all fall under a specific theme:
‘Eastern Plays’ talks about Intolerance. The movie is in Bulgarian with English Subtitles, trailer here.

‘Sturm’ talks about corruption when dealing with Crimes against Humanity. The movie is in English and Serbian with English subtitles, trailer here.

‘Welcome’ talks about Irregular Migration. The movie is French with English Subtitles, trailer to which can be accessed here.

Booking & Info
The European Parliament Office is at Europe House, 254 St Paul’s Street.
The room hosts a maximum of 70 people so if anyone is interested, e-mail epvalletta@europarl.europa.eu with names and contact details.  Or bookings can be made on our Facebook events’ page.

The real Malta is still waiting to be captured on video

The way we see it – there is a great need for some ‘real-life’ spapshots of living and working on the islands. In the meantime, here are four examples we found as we start the online video trawl in search of the real Malta and Gozo.

Please refresh this page until you see all the videos load up.

TOURIST LOVE LETTER

COFFEE DRINKER

RAMBLING RAMBLER

ALTERNATIVE

Diversity and inclusion don't usually sit together. Perhaps it's time they did.

Today, I finally had some time to catch up on in boxes on various social media, and browse around – to learn, research, and think about what we should have more of on Malta Inside Out. I am glad I did. Because I came across a message from the British Council, Malta, about a competition they ran last summer under the Council’s Inclusion and Diversity in Education project (INDIE) for schools. If you haven’t heard about this yet, do read on…

The Council had asked anyone who felt inspired by INDIE, to use their mobile phone cameras to make a three-minute film about the meaning of ‘diversity’. This was music to my ears. Malta is so often characterised as a society that relishes tradition, homogeneity and uniformity and one increasingly intolerant. So I did read on…

Malta was active in competing in its INDIE country cluster, which includes young people from the UK and Spain. Marlon Formosa from Kirkop Boys Secondary School won second prize. I clicked through to watch a wonderfully moving, sensitive piece of film about a boy called Deemar who suffers from a very rare condition called Metatropic Dysplaysia.

About the film
This is what Marlon says about his friend and his film: “I like him [Deemar] because in him I don’t see any disability but a great ability to fight against his physical limitations and have a positive attitude towards life. When the head of school told us about the INDIE Goes Mobile short film competition, Deemar came into my mind straight away.

“In creating this short film I found great help from his Learning Support Assistant, teachers and students altogether. But the main protagonist was Deemar himself.

“The first part of the video is about Deemar thinking about the problems he encounters in everyday school life. On the other hand, during the second part Deemar realises that he can be, and is a part of the school family.”

If you haven’t seen it, take three minutes out to watch Marlon’s film ‘Deemar’ below. He, Deemar and countless other young people like them are the people Malta can be proud of.

Read more about the winning entries.

Photo: Walter lo Cascio

Ramon Mizzi, the Director

Ramon Mizzi is a film maker, currently reading for an MA in TV & Interactive Content at Birmingham City University, UK. In October 2009, his short film ‘In the End’ won Best International Contemporary Short in the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival. His brother Alexis was Director of Photography and co-producer of the film.

How did your interest in film start?
Our interest in film started way back as kids, when we used to go to the cinema on a weekly basis. Our grandfather Nenu owned Warner Theatre cinema in Qormi and we watched all the classics on the big screen there. In 2002, we decided to drop our current jobs and move to Sydney to get film training and after four years we graduated in Film Making with Honours.  Our thesis film won three awards in Malta and the protagonist was Jon Siveright from ‘Home & Away’ fame.  He just loved the script. The antagonist is Cristie Giordimania, a brilliant Maltese-Australian actress. ‘Moving On’ can be viewed here.

Where has your career taken you so far?
After finishing our course of study, we moved back to Malta and in 2007 we were employed by the Ministry of Education at the National TV Archives at PBS (Malta’s public broadcasting service). Our duties included restoring, archiving and sorting out the Maltese national treasure found at PBS.  Six months into our contract, we were commissioned to produce a daily five-minute feature for TVM called MILL-ARKIVJI.  We are proud and lucky to be able to show our country’s historical and cultural content to Maltese viewers. We loved working on it. Working with distinguished talent like Charles Abela Mizzi among others increased our knowledge and skills to be better broadcasters.

In May 2008, we were commissioned to work for KOPIN a Maltese NGO Platform to work on the GLOBAL ACTION SCHOOL MALTA VIDEO 2008 project. We wrote the script, filmed and edited it. It was so cool to work with teenagers and NGOs, exposing youngsters to the world of video making, and we involved them as much as we could.  The video was seen in the 27 EU Countries and Thailand and we produced it in such a way to promote Malta as a holiday destination.

Between April and August 2008, we were commissioned to work on a Wedding Documentary. Since weddings are not our cup of tea, we decided to jazz it up and steer off from the run-of-the-mill boring wedding videos. Luckily the couple involved are artists too and quickly took on board our idea. The finished product is an awesome off-the-wall wedding that they will cherish all their life.

2009 started as a slow year, because of the world crises, so Alex and I decided to do something, and came up with the concept for a contemporary short film

What was the inspiration for ‘The End’? How important is Malta as a backdrop for your work? And why did you select your father for the main role?
In December 2008, our last grandfather passed on. We couldn’t help noticing our big family gathering around him on his death bed, and I found myself asking whether I’d be as lucky at his age, to have so many and so caring a family around to say goodbye. Probably not, since I don’t plan to have 11 kids! Suddenly, the concept for ‘In the End’ was born. From the first draft to the 15th, I was continually twisting and turning, researching issues related to the elderly, until both Alex and I were happy with it.

Malta has excellent locations (although our film is mostly interiors). The weather is film-making friendly with continuous sunshine, not much rain and most of all the Maltese people are very accommodating when coming to film in houses or private properties. That is extremely helpful for us film makers. Something I experienced in Malta is the ease of access to locations compared to other countries.

Casting was easy since while writing as I had the actors in mind. Paul was portrayed by Philip Mizzi, my dad. We have known dad as an actor since we were kids and wanted to cast him in a film of ours. We talked about this from Australia while at film school, so finally the chance popped up.

You’ve just won a major award. What does this mean for you (and your brother) professionally?
To keep doing what we are doing and building on what we’ve got!! Winning in the US especially, is very encouraging as we know that we are on the right track. We have to improve a lot of things to reach higher levels, but at least it’s a start, considering that this is our second short film. Also maybe this award will help us tap into more funding and contacts to put Malta on the film-making map worldwide.

Do you think that creatives have to leave Malta to ‘make it’?
Well, this is a hard question. I can say Yes and No, because it’s a double edge sword. Leaving Malta will get Maltese talent exposed to the professional practices that professionals overseas abide by, like a bible. While in Malta, since film training amongst other things is lacking, things are done, let’s say differently or inappropriately. But it is easier today than say 10-15 years ago to get a Maltese film recognised and promoted overseas what with social media networks, interactivity and cheap flights. So long as you have a good story. With hard work, persistence and dedication, a Maltese short film can easily make it to any film festival overseas. On the other hand, Malta offers a lot of great things to film makers; I’ve worked on productions in Sydney and now in the UK and things that are easy to get in Malta are very difficult or costly in these countries.

What do you miss about Malta by being away?
The awesome Maltese weather and the beautiful Mediterranean sea, since currently I reside in the UK. I miss also the typical Maltese bread (being from Qormi) and friends that have always supported us in whatever we did.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Keep on dreaming, because those who dream achieve, we wish to say to young Maltese film makers, never quit and follow where your heart wants to go. Work your networks well and ask for help when you need it. If you are true to yourself you will make it.

Ramon Mizzi
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/Ramsku
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/ramonmizzi
Twitter: Ramsku
LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/mizziramon

Alexis Mizzi
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/LIXU72
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/alexmizzi
Twitter: Nelix72
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/alexisjmizzi

Worth seeing, and not just because a Maltese feature film is a novelty

We’re about to witness perhaps a ‘one of a kind’ in Maltese film-making with the arrival on screen of ‘Kont Diġa’ (‘I was, already’), a full-feature Maltese film with Maltese film-makers and a near totally Maltese cast. The film, shot in Maltese but showing with subtitles for non-Maltese speakers, premieres at St James Cavalier, 2 October.

The islands have long been recognised as a useful place to shoot films. Malta has seen the making of many international greats, and for good reason as it has excellent facilities. The Mediterranean Film Studios is renowned for its SFX water tank facilities, and Malta’s historic landmarks have served as locations for all manner of films from Midnight Express (1978) to Gladiator (2000) and the Da Vinci Code (2006).

Now, Malta is seeing its own film industry burgeoning, with Kont Diġa taking Malta down another avenue in its love affair with all things film. Director, Mark Dingli explains where Kont Diġa fits in the story of Maltese film-making: “This film is more comparable to older Maltese features than recent ones. Maybe what’s unique to it is that it’s not completely art house, neither is it a commercial popcorn flick. It has a clear narrative story, simple but present unlike the descriptive only nature of some early Maltese films. It’s easy to follow and everyone can relate to it in some way or another. But it’s definitely not a commercial film.

The Kont Diġa Storyline
The film’s storyline is one many returned Maltese migrants will no doubt associate with: it’s about a young free-spirited artist, Karl, who returns to his home island Malta after a long time away. It covers his personal journey discovering his roots. Reliving old habits with friends and memories from his childhood, this journey leads him to re-visit his past with his ex-girlfriend, and then with a new friend, Anna, through whom he visits his old home in Gozo, now a neglected house full of memories. Anna is his springboard for self reflection and becomes his reason for trying to start life again in Malta; a place he’s familiar with but is now seeing through different eyes.

The film-makers
‘Kont Diġa’ was directed by Mark Dingli and produced by Sascha Sammut using their own original screenplay. The film was independently funded and produced. It was made possible through international collaboration with young film-makers from the Netherlands, where Mark Dingli studied film for many years. The original soundtrack was written by Xavier Lopez from France and Marc Neyen from Germany. The film uses a nearly all-Maltese cast, with Karl Consiglio, Annabelle Galea and Marie Claire Camilleri taking the lead parts.

Premiere & Screenings
Kont Diġa was filmed in Malta last summer is now to premiere locally at St James Cavalier, 2 October, with further screenings on 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 14, 15, 16 and 18 October. For more information, see www.kontdiga.com. For booking contact St James Cavalier on +356 21232166 or send an email on info@sjcav.org.