A photographic essay on the ageing population of Vittoriosa, or Birgu as it is referred to by the Maltese among us, is spread over two volumes titled Survivors. Joseph Agius discusses with photographer JOSEPH P. SMITH the concepts behind these seminal publications.

JA: Both volumes of Survivors can be regarded as a photographic essay and an introspective study of the citizens of Vittoriosa, referred to also by the Maltese as Birgu. The first volume, shot in monochrome, reflects on various individuals, within the sanctuary of their own homes. We get a glimpse of Vittoriosa through its people, rather than through its architecture and its social life. What made you choose Vittoriosa as your haunt of choice for this project?

JS: It was actually by accident that the whole project took off. I was in Vittoriosa on a photographic assignment to cover a street- theatre production and met this lady, Ines Portelli, standing in her delightful doorway. I asked her if I could shoot a portrait of her  and she accepted, and then proceeded to tell me her life story, which was amazing.

Carmelo Brincat

Afterwards, I had a drink with the mayor of the town, John Boxall, and I told him about this encounter that I had just had a few minutes before.

When I mentioned the name of this lady to Boxall, his eyes opened wide, exclaiming that he was sure that the lady had an interesting story to tell me. He affirmed that the majority of the population in Vittoriosa are of a venerable age and stories such as the ones that I had just heard were sadly being buried with their protagonists.

So I came up with this idea of collaborating with the local council to come up with the first volume. The local council used to supply me with three addresses every week; they used to inform the people concerned that I would be visiting and, from then on, it was plain sailing. These people were very welcoming and they made me one of them. I was much richer for the experience.

Josephine and George Cachia

JA: The second volume, although thematically a continuation of the first one, focuses deeply on the ageing population and is shot in colour. Does this give it a more contemporary immediacy, in the sense that you are documenting Vittoriosa’s life right here, right now within the context of its contemporary domestic spaces?

JS: The decision to shoot in colour was based on two reasons. Firstly, it adds a bit of contemporaneity and, secondly, I wanted a total change from the first volume. Volume one was done in monochrome as I had to consider the initial expense as these two volumes are self-published. This time round, I was looking at these beautiful interiors with colourful peeling walls and with painted-over traditional Maltese furniture.

Fr Marius Zerafa

These little details increase the power of the narrative and so, I decided to go for colour. Also, the second volume has a stronger anthropological and ethnographic nature because it involves photographs of things and objects that are close to the heart of the protagonists as well. I took photos of their handiwork, the products of their hobbies and pastimes.

I was giving these people a new lease of life as they were so much entrenched in their intimate spaces, withering away in the twilights of their lives- Joseph P Smith

JA: Such a photo essay elicits some comparisons with Robert Frank’s seminal masterpiece The Americans. Frank captured the spirit of a whole nation through monochrome studies of that country’s culture, I believe totally away from the privacy and intimacy of domesticity. Your focus is on the microscopic (people within the comfort of their homes in one small harbour-side town), while the Swiss photographer’s interest was on the macroscopic (the great American outdoors and not necessarily people only). Which, in your opinion, captures more effectively the spirit of time and place?

Alf Mizzi

JS: Vittoriosa is a small medieval town. There was the transmission of the feeling that in every house I entered, somehow, and I say this modestly, I was giving these people a new lease of life as they were so much entrenched in their intimate spaces, withering away in the twilights of their lives. In fact, I could see the joy in their eyes at being involved in this project. In my case, I had to be more microscopic for this reason. One lady wondered why it had to be someone from Rabat to come with this idea. This demonstrates how much this project was appreciated by those who took part in it.

In the case of Robert Frank, who happens to be one of my favourite photographers, he goes for a broader outlook of a huge continent. In my case, everything is more intimate and more personalised.

Carmen Calleja

JA: Survivors denotes an aftermath, an overcoming of unfavourable conditions and coming out on top. What did these people survive, or escape, from?

JS: A common denominator is the war. I came up with the title Survivors not solely because of the war. It is also because of the personal stories of tragedies, departures and deaths, interspersed with happy stories. When you consider the general narrative that I received from these people, I realised that they are so resilient that I could not deviate or find another alternative to ‘Survivors’. Perhaps when the people read the book, they would comprehend why I decided on that particular choice of title. Whatever life threw at the people of Vittoriosa, they always came out on top, always with a smile on their faces.

Lilian Saliba

JA: Do you envisage a third volume of Survivors or has the theme been completely exploited? Maybe you would consider other ‘survivors’ from other Maltese towns and villages? Or would these individuals have the same stories to tell as their counterparts from Vittoriosa, symptomatic of a universal ‘Malteseness’?

JS: The council is already chasing me for volume three: there are more stories that need to be told. In fact, the mayor himself wants to be included in the hypothetical third volume as he now includes himself with the ageing population. However, I feel that I need a bit of a break in order to look back and take stock.

Fr Lawrence Emmanuel Attard

One thing that I forgot to mention: we recorded the interviews on video for the second volume, with the help of cinematographer Jean Pierre Gatt. We’re mulling on the idea of going for a TV documentary with all the footage we have. I’m open to suggestions, and people have been asking me to explore other towns and cities; but I doubt I would come across the richness of the narrative I came across in Vittoriosa. Social documentary is one of my staple foods in photography, so I say never say never.

The two volumes of Survivors can be purchased directly from Joseph P. Smith by sending an e-mail to smithfoto59@gmail.com.