Film
Luzzu (15)
Dir. Alex Camilleri, 2021, Malta, 95 mins, subtitled. Cast. Jesmark Scicluna, Frida Cauchi, Michaela Ferrugia.
Jesmark, a struggling fisherman on the island of Malta, must make an agonising choice: repair his leaking Luzzu – the traditional wooden fishing boat that has been in his family for generations – or decommission it in exchange for a government pay-out. Faced with the temptation of making easy money working for a black-market fishing operation, Jesmark must reconcile his desire to preserve tradition with the need to provide for his young family. Luzzu recalls the neorealist traditions of Visconti and Rossellini, and offers a glimpse into the beauty of an island rarely portrayed in cinema.
Jesmark, a struggling fisherman on the island of Malta, must make an agonising choice: repair his leaking Luzzu – the traditional wooden fishing boat that has been in his family for generations – or decommission it in exchange for a government pay-out. Faced with the temptation of making easy money working for a black-market fishing operation, Jesmark must reconcile his desire to preserve tradition with the need to provide for his young family. Luzzu recalls the neorealist traditions of Visconti and Rossellini, and offers a glimpse into the beauty of an island rarely portrayed in cinema.