When the state comes after you for exposing injustices

Last summer, the union Solidarjeta began reaching out to practitioners in the cultural sector to consult on various issues affecting the industry.

Solidarjeta has already made significant progress in the housing rental sector, offering protection to tenants and achieving positive results. This success lent credibility to the union.

More importantly, the individuals associated with Solidarjeta were independent and did not rely on public grants, allowing them to stand up to government entities without fear of repercussions. Throughout several meetings, we discussed the inner workings of the cultural sector. My primary focus was the local film industry.

Around the same time, I became increasingly vocal about the government's persistent payment delays, particularly through the Malta Film Commission, due to the lack of protection for local artists.

While consulting with Solidarjeta, I suggested they engage with the Malta Entertainment Industry Association (MEIA) to push for industry protections. I contacted MEIA, and they agreed to initiate contact and arrange a meeting. Meanwhile, my protests grew louder as I uncovered the widespread nature of the delays, including the Film Commission’s self-indulgent €500,000 short film production.

MEIA invited me to a meeting where practitioners could voice concerns directly to the prime minister. I seized the opportunity, but as expected, the prime minister merely expressed concern and made empty promises. It was especially unacceptable that the Film Commission - the very entity promoting film careers - was responsible for the delays. Still, I was grateful that my advocacy helped some short film workers receive long-overdue payments, nearly six months after filming.

As my activism intensified, I even sided with the Opposition party to expose the ministry overseeing my sector. This triggered online attacks from government loyalists, one of which escalated into a physical threat that I am now pursuing legally. Such threats must be taken seriously. The mounting pressure took a toll on me, all due to the government’s failure to act.

MEIA was slow to respond publicly, when they should have led the charge, given these recurring issues. Even MEIA’s chairman faced online harassment and threats that went unaddressed - another unacceptable reality.

Toward the end of the year, the prime minister held a second meeting with practitioners, and I was invited again. I asked MEIA if they planned to protest, given his unfulfilled promises. They said they’d consult the board but never followed up. It became clear that those engaging with me didn’t necessarily reflect the whole organisation - a common issue in any group, including political parties. In the end, I protested alone. MEIA later claimed attendees weren’t allowed to speak, but I’ve never seen an organisation wait for permission to protest from the very entity they are meant to be challenging.

I grew increasingly frustrated with MEIA’s inaction. Their members failed to amplify the concerns their own organisation had raised, weakening the campaign. Despite initially agreeing to collaborate, they also failed to communicate with Solidarjeta. It was clear that some within MEIA were uneasy with my outspoken approach - but as an independent activist, I am free to operate as I see fit. Those who invited me were frustrated with their own organisation’s inaction. I never claimed to speak for MEIA; I simply voiced my disappointment that they weren’t making enough noise - allowing these issues to persist year after year.

On Christmas Eve, the Culture Minister released a public statement through the media, announcing that he had received a letter from MEIA and the Malta Producers Association (MPA) dissociating themselves from me. This came as a complete surprise, as I had not been notified of any such letter or move.

Bonnici's ministry issued an official statement to distance the MEIA and MPA from Maggi.

I have no idea how MPA got involved, as my last collaboration with them was during the 2022 Malta Film Awards when practitioners protested the Film Commission’s reckless overspending. MPA asked non-members, including me, to take part in the campaign, promising to expose the mistreatment and late payments of the most awarded film at the ceremony - Blood on The Crown. Many of us shared sensitive documents to substantiate these claims. We agreed to participate before MPA’s members even knew about the campaign.

However, after we spoke out and showed our faces, we were told the media had decided not to focus on crew mistreatment. Later, I was shocked to learn that the news outlet meant to receive the documents and report on them had never even been informed of the issue or given any supporting evidence by MPA.

MEIA later admitted that they had made a mistake sending the letter, but by then, it was too late. They could not rightly be upset about the minister for going behind their back after they sent him the letter without notifying me first. I agree with their decision to clarify their stance, but not with the way they handled it. Had they involved me, I would have gladly contributed to the letter, emphasizing that we were not formally associated but merely shared information on occasion - a completely normal aspect of activism.

The real culprit here is Minister Owen Bonnici, who deliberately used his position to target me. He knew exactly what he was doing - pressuring organisations about me, publicly releasing the letter despite their objections, and intimidating them into compliance. By making the letter public, he sowed confusion within the sector, among my supporters, and even within the Opposition party I had aligned with. His goal was clear: to tarnish my reputation and isolate me.

MEIA later confronted him on TV show Il-Kazin, stating the letter should never have been published. But by then, the damage was done. I recognize their mistake and political naivety. No one expects such underhanded tactics. But I am not a politician - I am a citizen fighting for what is owed to me, my friends, and my colleagues.

As I write this, several individuals, both local and foreign, are still awaiting payments from the Arts Council and the Film Commission. 

Matthew Maggi.

Owen Bonnici claimed he had an obligation to release the letter’s contents to inform the public. No, minister: your obligation was to hold Johann Grech accountable for failing to pay the people he contracted on behalf of the government. Instead, you chose to silence, humiliate, and isolate your critics by enabling a barrage of insults, accusations, and threats from your diehard supporters. This was a dangerous precedent. Now that some time has passed and the air has cleared, I feel more at ease writing this piece. Only in hindsight, after speaking with experienced activists, did I realise how serious this situation truly was.

Meanwhile, I am pleased that MEIA has finally engaged with Solidarjeta and is prioritising the late payment issue. If nothing else, progress is being made.