Updated Thursday 5.30pm, adds film company's reaction

A film production crew trampled on protected flora and left its rubbish at the Għar il-Kbir prehistoric cave system after it wrapped up filming.

Earth-systems student Jake Farrugia expressed his concerns about the environmental impact on the flora after he found evidence of strewn rubble, protected vegetation like thyme and squill cut or trampled, sandbags, and metal mesh illegally dumped inside the cave.

In pictures he took from of the site and which he posted to social media on Monday, Mr Farruga drew attention to how the production company had left the site after filming, and how this impacted the environment.

Trampled thyme. Photo: Jake Farrugia

He said he had previously visited the site last weekend where he had seen the production company’s large trucks, cranes and film equipment situated across the site.

To build the set, heavy machinery, including a crane, was taken on site, which was trampled upon well above the acceptable limits, rubble and inert waste were deposited and not removed after filming, he said.

The strewn rubble, he said, had been used to hold up crosses and actors had been dressed up as Romans and Jews.

The entrance to the Għar il-Kbir cave system. Rubbish was reportedly found inside. Photo: Jake Farrugia

Għar il-Kbir is a complex cave system located in south-west Malta, that was inhabited by underground communities of troglodytes from prehistoric times up until the 1830s. Prehistoric cart-ruts were also discovered on site. 

“They have no right to leave the place in such a state. This goes against waste management laws and the EU habitats directive. These trampled species are meant to be protected,” he said.

He also stressed that the damage would have an impact on the protected fauna indigenous to the area, particularly the swallow-tail butterfly.

Trampled vegetation. Photo: Jake Farrugia

This was because two species of fennel that were an important food sources for the caterpillars that then transformed into the swallow-tail butterflies. Less food could lead to a decline in their population,” he said.

Mr Farrugia explained that he did mind films being produced in Malta but better care needed to be taken. “I cannot stress this enough. This is a highly biologically, culturally and geologically diverse area,” he said.

Siggiewi Local council's executive secretary Ritienne Giorgino said that both the council and the Environment Resources Authority (ERA) had registered “no objection” to the film crew using Għar il-Kbir for the production, but conditions were requested.

These were that it had to be ensured that no equipment/machinery/temporary structures were placed or driven on existing vegetation, that any machinery used during the filming was equipped with rubber tyres, and that existing paths should be used at all times. 

Once the filming was over, all efforts had to be made to ensure that the area was restored back to its original state without prejudice to third party rights in terms of access to the site.” 

Ms Giorgino added that the council would be making an official report with the ERA and the police for the claims to be investigated.

Questions sent to the Malta Film Commission and the Environment Resources Authority have not yet been answered.

Correction: This article corrects mention of Dingli Local Council as the location of the prehistoric site. This is in fact within Siggiewi locality and under the Siggiewi Local Council's remit.

Film company's reaction

In a reaction on Thursday, Pellikola Limited, on behalf of Project Icon LLC, categorically denied that it caused any irreparable damage to protected flora or that it had left any waste at Misraħ Għar il-Kbir following filming activities on December 15.

Waste that was generated by the crew was collected immediately after filming and the site was re-instated in the days that followed. Re-instatement works, it said, ended earlier this week. 

The re-instated site after the filming.

The company said that the company was granted permission to film for a day by the ERA and the council did not object.

The production fully adhered to the plan presented to both entities and followed all conditions established.

A cast, crew and extras of around 100 people were present on site on the day of filming but no heavy vehicles, machinery or temporary structures were placed or driven on the existing vegetation. A crane that was required to install a screen was parked in a privately-owned field adjacent to Misraħ Għar il-Kbir. 

The re-instated site after the filming.

A telescopic camera-crane with soft rubber tyres was driven on an approved route on an existing track.

Contrary to that reported in the article, the production did not film or access any of the caves nor did it deposit any rubble, sand bags, metal mesh or inert waste in any of the underground chambers. The waste in the picture, it said, was there prior to the commencement of filming activities.

Any other waste that had was found prior to the shoot in the area used for filming was collected and disposed of by the production crew at company’s expense, it said.