LUZZU
A traditional Maltese fisherman faces the end of the line as modern rigs threaten his ancestral vocation and finds himself risking everything to support his desperate family.
Like the ancient ruins left by conquerors of the small Mediterranean island nation of Malta, ornately painted traditional fishing boats called “luzzus” lie scattered ashore, never to be used again in Maltese-American filmmaker Alex Camilleri’s striking debut film. As the local fishing industry faces the increasing threat of globalization, Camilleri follows the reserved Jesmark (an impressive Jesmark Scicluna in a role inspired by his own life) as he attempts to keep his generations-old down boat afloat while deflecting pressure to be bought out. The statuesque and stubborn Jesmark only finds peace and purpose out on the ebb and flow of the sea. On shore he faces the diminishing selling prices of his dwindling haul and escalating cost of his ailing infant son’s medical bills. Determined not to lose his damaged boat and family no matter the cost, Jesmark dives into the dangerous high-stakes world of the fishing black market. Anchored by Scicluna’s natural, charismatic performance, Camilleri successfully creates a compelling tale fusing the neorealist aesthetics of his cinematic forbearers with thrilling sequences that shine a light on a way of life in peril.
CAST: Jesmark Scicluna, Michela Farrugia, David Scicluna, Frida Cauchi
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