By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.9
Director: Alex Camilleri
Starring: David Scicluna | Frida Cauchi | Jesmark Scicluna | Michela Farrugia | Stephen Buhagiar | Uday McLean
Country: malta
Year: 2021
Running time: 94
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11379584/reference
Bob says: “A luzzu is a tiny Maltese fishing boat, only about 3 meters long, brightly painted and with eyes adorning the bow. Jesmark’s luzzu has been in his family for generations, and it shows — both in the imprint of his own foot from when he was an infant that decorates the boat, and the fact that it’s falling apart. He’s going to have to repair it, and that means he won’t be earning any money for a while (not that he was making much). His own infant son, the next in line to take on the family business, needs to see some specialists, and that’s going to be expensive. It looks like Malta doesn’t have single-payer healthcare, and Jesmark’s wife Denise has little faith in his ability to handle the situation. She relies instead on her well-connected mother.
“The film is a look at the EU’s working class in an industry that can no longer support as many as have traditionally counted on it. This is in part due to global warming making it harder to catch enough fish, but there’s a sense that a faceless bureaucracy is making up rules to make things difficult because it simply doesn’t care. Some find ways around the rules, while others give up and sell their boats to the government as part of a program that requires them to quit the business altogether.
“The film has a pretty naturalistic take on the situation, in spite of some of the twists in the plot feeling a little melodramatic. 3 cats. Viewed as part of Independent Film Festival Boston.”
Chris says: “On the island of Malta, Jesmark comes from a long line of fishermen. His luzzu, a small, brightly-colored boat has been passed down from generation to generation. Unfortunately, the way of life his ancestors thrived in is quickly vanishing due to advances in technology and new EU-sanctioned regulations, which leaves Jesmark struggling to support his wife and young child and turning to unethical activities.
“Alex Camillari’s film, gorgeously shot but thoroughly unflashy is reminiscent of modern Iranian cinema in its echoes of neorealism and even-handed approach to conflict resolution. If the scenes with his mother-in-law (who comes from a higher class) come close to cliche, Jesmark’s process of learning how to accept and make peace with change is rendered in such a way to remain fresh and insightful. And, the final shot is effective in its simplicity. 4 cats
“(Screened at IFFBoston 2021.)”
Diane says: “4 cats from me; possible nom for lead Jesmark Scicluna, ‘a real fisherman who plays a version of himself.’ Director nom, and maybe screenplay, from me for LUZZU. It bears repeating that this is the first Maltese film, and uses an entirely Maltese crew. The country is a popular location for filming, so it has no shortage of movie-making professionals. Kudos to Camilleri for this homage to his parents’ homeland.”
Michael says: “Alex Camilleri tackles the fishing industry in Malta while telling a very personal story in LUZZU, the first feature filmed to be wholly financed by the Maltese Film Board. Jesmark is a fisherman who has followed the family tradition set by his father, grandfather and beyond, where is fishes using a generations-old boat balled a luzzu. As the fishing industry worldwide has industrialized and myriad of regulations have put restrictive limits on what is allowed to actually be fished and when, individual fisherman can barely eke out a living. When Jesmark and his wife Denise, learn that their newborn son needs special (expensive) food to get him the proper nutrition, it puts their tenuous financial situation into a tailspin. Denise comes from money, but she doesn’t rely on her controlling, disapproving mother, rather works as a waitress at one of the many harbor side restaurants that cater to tourists. When Jesmark luzzu needs to be docked for repair, and the bills start to mount, Denise is forced to turn to her mother for help, much to Jesmark’s dismay.
“Eventually, Jesmark learns that most of his colleagues involved in the Maltese fishing industry are bending, if not breaking the rules that govern their work. He soon finds that by doing a few not-quite-legal jobs for a shady boss, he can actually earn enough money to support his family. At this point, as Jesmark finds himself alienating his friends, but unwilling to turn his back completely on the luzzu and all it represents, he also alienates his wife. LUZZU turns into a film about the choices that must be made to survive in an increasingly industrialized world, and how they might be difficult, even when the life you are living might not be the one you want.
“Camilleri has written an intricate and sobering screenplay that carries LUZZU strongly. For reasons that make a lot of sense, he chose to use non-actors, actual fisherman, to capture the authenticity of his story, and while that served him well for many of the scenes, lead actor Jesmark Sciciuna isn’t quite as strong in the scenes that require some emotional heft. From narratives like HOLLER, to documentaries such as FISH & MEN, LUZZU continues a theme that seems powerfully resonant in today’s world, how an ever-evolving world is leaving many people behind unless they are willing to compromise principles. 3.5 cats”
Toni says: “Much has already been said about this film from IFFBoston. This was a truly heartfelt and realistic snapshot within a difficult conflict in the Maltese fishing communities. You can see the care from director/writer Alex Camilleri from his documentary work in representing the underground fishing market to the EU’s movements to reduce fishing. The lead actor, Jesmark Scicluna, who is actually a Siġġiewi-based fisherman, is beautifully understated in his role right up to his boat’s destruction and attempts moving up and out with and against his peers. 5 cats”