Direction: Alex Camilleri
Country: Malta
Inspired by De Sica and Visconti, the Maltese-American director Alex Camilleri captivates our attention with his well-shot feature debut, Luzzu. This film - part social commentary and part domestic drama - displays a powerhouse slice of Maltese fisherfolk life, being titled after the multicolored wooden fishing boat typical of Malta. Owning one of these, Jesmark (played by real-life fisherman Jesmark Scicluna) struggles financially as the fishing business is dominated by black-market operations.
His leaky luzzu needs a proper fix, forcing him to stop an activity already underpaid. His wife, Denise (Michela Farrugia), who works as a waitress, is basically the one providing for the family. In a time when their newborn needs medical attention, this is all very anguishing to Jesmark, who has two options: joining the illegal operations of the black market or breaking the generational cycle of his family by accepting an EU payout to decommission his boat and quit the fishing business permanently.
Luzzu clearly conveys what Camilleri had in mind through powerful images and feelings. The filmmaker keeps it real by presenting a plainly spelled-out sequence of events that first infuriates and then makes you think. It’s all filled with dramatic heft, moral shading, and a palpable ring of truth that reflects the bitter change of times, the progressive loss of tradition, and the rampant viciousness of capitalism in a dehumanizing atmosphere that will leave no one indifferent.
