TV documentary takes viewers to new depths

Documentaries about the ocean and the mysteries it holds rarely fail to capture the attention even of those whose experience of the sea consists of diving no deeper than five metres.

A piece of good news for those who love the sea is that a documentary about diving will be broadcast on Super 1 TV every Friday at 8 p.m. This is a six-part mini series called Dinja Ohra IV - Under Pressure, the first part being screened tomorrow. The executive producer of the documentary who led the Deep 5 Production Team, Emi Farrugia, said the series took three years to complete.

In the series, the divers guide the viewers in the underwater world around the Maltese islands, showing, among other things, fish life, albeit depleted around these shores, and several World War I wrecks. This may sound strange because Malta was not directly involved in that campaign.

The team also went over to the Red Sea. The divers' aim was twofold: to demonstrate the abundant marine life there and how the Maltese diving product can be enhanced in a bid to cut in on a good part of the diving market.

The documentary also features commercial fishing, ranging from tuna penning to the catching of swordfish and tuna on long lines, and the netting of dolphin fish.

The first 13-part underwater documentary series Dinja Ohra (A different world) had won the Malta Broadcasting Authority award in the documentary category in 1999.

Dinja Ohra II - Getting The Objective won the 2001 MBA award for the best documentaries for that year and Dinja Ohra III - Down Into Deeper Waters won an MBA award in 2003. Super 1 will screen a repeat of each episode the following Thursday at 6 p.m. Mr Farrugia, who has filmed several wrecks connected with Operation Pedestal that brought much needed supplies to beleaguered Malta on August 15, 1942 during World War II, is planning to film the Glenorchy, which lies in Tunisian waters. The Glenorchy, which also formed part of Operation Pedestal, was torpedoed by the Axis on August 13, 1942. There were no survivors.

"Hopefully, we will soon get the go ahead to film from the Tunisian authorities with whom we have a very good rapport," he said.

dinjaohra@mail.global.net.mt