Los Angeles Times Says Maltese Film Is ‘Must See’ At Prestigious Sundance Film Festival
It is a merit on its own to be featured in the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, let alone to be named amongst some of the “must see movies” by one of the biggest media houses in the United States.
Luzzu has been on the tip of every cinephile’s tongue ever since it premiered at Sundance last Friday, but the Maltese film has been generating hype prior to its release.
The Los Angeles Times included Luzzu in its 24 must see movies from the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.
“It’s shaping up to be an especially strong Sundance for stories set within economically and environmentally imperiled fishing industries,” the newspaper said.
“This beautifully rough-hewn drama, directed by Alex Camilleri and set on the island of Malta, stars an excellent Jesmark Scicluna as a fisherman torn between his love for the sea and his need to provide for his girlfriend and infant son”.
Those words carry weight and tell a lot about the film, which happens to be Camilleri’s debut feature.
And credit to the fisherman-turned-actor Jesmark Scicluna who made his debut as the main star in the film without any prior acting experience or education.
Luzzu tells the tale of two real fishermen, Jesmark and David, as they come to terms with the hardships of their industry in the modern age, turning towards an illegal black market to care for their family and livelihood.
It is the first Maltese film to feature at Sundance, an iconic film festival which once casted Reservoir Dogs and Whiplash, but hopefully it isn’t the last.
With the exposure it has received so far, Luzzu could very well become one of Malta’s biggest films. It’s only a matter of time before it come back home and onto big screens around the island.
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