Great Siege in computer animation 3D film

The Diary, a computer animated 3D film which recounts the story of the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, was premiered at the Empire Cinema Complex, in Bugibba, yesterday.

This 50-minute work has been produced by the Italian-based Onion Studios, using revolutionary techniques adopted by DreamWorks for the Oscar-winning film Shrek.

Onion Studios, which is based in Tuscany, brings together a number of experts in the field of computer graphics, film and comics, focused on producing films for children.

The film will be playing at Empire Cinemas every day of the week in the morning for schools and at weekends for the public.

Speaking at a press launch yesterday Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said the history of our islands was the cornerstone of a new strategy for the tourism sector.

"Shifting our strategy from promoting Malta merely as a destination to an experience, envisages the marketing of our 7,000 years of history to the ever-growing number of visitors from countries as far away as the United States and Japan," he said.

The film transports the audience to the summer of 1565 when a huge Turkish fleet is set to invade the island. The Knights of the Order of St John and the Maltese look on, knowing this is their moment of destiny.

The Diary is inspired by a detailed account of the Great Siege, kept by Francesco Balbi da Correggio, an Italian adventurer who came to Malta specifically to join in the fight against the invading Muslim army.

The film's director, Paolo Bertola, said the team had faced some technical challenges especially when it came to synchronising hundreds of computer-generated soldiers for the battle scenes and the crumbling of city walls, among others.

The Diary has been dubbed in three languages - English, Italian and Maltese. At present the English version is showing.

For this mammoth project, Onion Studios brought on board a number of Maltese experts who have been working for the past 18 months hand-in-hand with the company.

The studios' local representative, Claire Zammit, under the supervision of university lecturer Charles Cassar, carried out the research, while maestro Paul Abela provided the film's musical score.

The film, which has a budget of about €200,000, is also expected to be shown in Italian schools.

The film is under the patronage of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Culture and Vittoriosa council.