Luzzu

It's quite a good drama, which, although gripping, reveals the main character's severe internal conflict.

The protagonist is a man named Zhesmark, a fisherman in his generation. The favorite occupation does not bring a high income, and the funds are not even enough for basic needs. And there is also a family - a woman and a small son, in whom doctors suspect a disease. A difficult life situation leads to tectonic shifts in his worldview.

The central character steps over himself, his beliefs and moral principles in order to earn the money needed for the family. He takes on any job, leaves his comfort zone and ends up where he shouldn't have gone.

Everything here works very well. Yes, the lead actor, in my humble opinion, is not too emotional and could have played better. Others simply did their job well.

The creative team managed to reveal the plot, convey the atmosphere of a society with canons and an ancient craft, which cannot adapt to modern realities and is doomed to decline.

Conclusion. Of course, this is a festival movie that not everyone will like. But it is really worth watching it once.

Malta's official submission to 2022's Oscars is beautiful, authentic, simple and emotional. Story is interesting and in a simple beautiful way it tackles powerful topics like sacrifice, tradition and family. It's that kind of movies that say so much by saying almost nothing. Lead performance is superb.

This was a well acted and beautifully shot film. The story is a slow burn about a man who came from a long line of fisherman in a changing economy where his trade is quickly dying off. The protagonist is faced with many existential questions about his life, how to provide for his family, fairness, and ultimately his role in a changing world. While the film can come off as very slow, I felt the ending really made the story feel quite important.

As a British expat. Living in Malta, this film gave a really good insight into the tensions between traditional Malta and the current fishing industry. Whilst it's setting was magnificent and showed off Malta, the story could have been anywhere where independent small business owners are drowing under a sea of bureaucratic red tape whilst the larger players merrily sidestep whatever the regulations are, secure in the knowledge that who they know/ pay, will ensure that any repercussions will be limited. Not so the little man, where the enforcement of often petty regulations are carried out with draconian fervour, largely because those charged with the task can only realistically catch the least powerful players.

The films is gritty and realistic, the acting powerful, the story line sad with a dark commentary on the effect of globalisation for us all.

Well worth watching.

Old wine in new jugs. With the advent of globalization and modernization, many ancient ways of life have been forced to die out, sadly but inexorably. The author leaves behind a possible answer: if these relics are the same "Ship of Theseus", then they can be eternal.