Despite writing and directing a film about the trials and tribulations of Maltese fishermen, Maltese-American director Alex Camilleri knew very little about the trade.

“I don’t like boats and I get very seasick, so this film subject matter is not the most natural for me, but I was always very inspired by the beauty of traditional fishing, so I wanted to know more.”

Luzzu is Camilleri’s feature-length directorial debut, a Maltese language film that has netted international praise and scooped awards at festivals around the world.

Lead actor Jesmark Scicluna, a fisherman from Siġġiewi, also bagged the Special Jury Award for his performance at the Sundance Film Festival.

Camilleri was speaking to journalists about the process and inspiration behind Luzzu after a press screening on Friday of the film produced by  Rebecca Anastasi, Ramin Bahrani and Oliver Mallia.

What is Luzzu about? 

Luzzu tells the story of Jesmark, a Maltese fisherman who invites the viewer to a glimpse of his world. Barely getting by, he sees his livelihood, a family tradition from generations before him, endangered by a ruthless fishing industry, diminishing harvests and a stagnating ecosystem.

Jesmark is forced to turn his back on generations of tradition, and risk everything by entering the world of black-market fishing to provide for his wife and newborn.

The first screening of Luzzu took place in January at the prestigious 2021 Sundance Film Festival and will be shown in Malta during an event on September 3 at Eden Cinemas before being released in theatres five days later.

The biggest assets I had were Jesmark and the Maltese sun

Moulding a film to its protagonist

Camilleri said the film would not have been possible without Jesmark and his cousin, David, both of whom are fishermen in real life.

“My perception of the film changed drastically as my relationship with Jesmark and David grew,” he said.

So much so, that Camilleri said the film originally focused on the life of an older fisherman, but once he met Jesmark, he knew he had to change that.

“The script changed fundamentally and Jesmark was at the root of that. He is a magnet for the camera and I had to have him as the lead.”

Praising the 29-year old’s performance, he said he became a better actor every day on set.

“Festivals such as Sundance embrace films that are true to their origins, so we felt we should embrace the truth of the story, which is better than any commercial story of Malta,” he said.

Secret to success

Throughout the past months, young local directors have been in contact with Camilleri, asking for his secrets for the success of Luzzu.

“I tell them the only difference between me and you is that I made this film and you didn’t. The biggest assets I had for this movie were Jesmark and the Maltese sun. The island is full of Jesmarks – when you point the camera in the right direction and have the right light, the film will follow.”

“Do you have a story to tell and a novel way to tell it? Then the rest will follow.”

Language no barrier

Despite having Maltese parents, Camilleri was never taught the language.

“My parents spoke Maltese at home but decided to not teach us the language as they were worried it would hinder us growing up in America,” he said.

The language limitations did not stop him from directing the film in Maltese.

“I often said that not speaking Maltese made me a much better director. I wanted to make sure the emotion came out and that is what I focused on, looking at the characters’ eyes and body language to make sure their emotion was pure.”

Camilleri said he is currently working on another Maltese film, which has a shared philosophy as Luzzu.

“A movie where I will mix actors and non-actors once more, which will be set in a very particular part of Malta and show a completely different side to the island from what Luzzu has done,” he said. “It hopefully will have a happier setting compared to Luzzu.”