Lack of respect for the dead

Stephen Farrugia

Oct 24th 2009, 18:40

Btw, STOP taking Pictures in parish churches for weddings and all kinds of stuff... its disrespectful...there are people buried there, and vanity and rememberance of youth is no good excuse for such memorabilia.....

.....ACCORDING TO THE EDITOR's ARGUMENT.

Ha...chew on this!

Stephen Farrugia

Oct 24th 2009, 18:38

Nobody who resides there was disturbed by it.......and if you say that the dead were disturbed, then you don't believe in an afterlife thus the argument wouldn't bother you.

Cemeteries aren't there just to remember the dead, they're shrines of beauty where people with artistic taste enjoy to watch how our fore-fathers respected the idea of rememberance.

Most probably the biggest damage made was on someone who woke up, saw the pictures, remembered they had someone buried there, and decided to go pay their respects..

According to me...there's no harm in the previous sentence.

Sergio Galea Vincenti

Oct 24th 2009, 16:07

What can one make of the apologies tended when a Facebook page has been set up for the photo-shoot?

Sergio Galea Vincenti

Oct 24th 2009, 16:06

@Mr. Stanley Agius: Apologies, now, seem a bit stale. Personally, the very idea of having a fashion photo-shoot at the Addolorata Cemetry seems to be in bad taste. As you said, there are other locations one could have sought but this, in itself, is not the point.

Stanley Agius

Oct 23rd 2009, 12:54

I am part of the production house motion blur. We are co-producers of Venere, together with Unique Promotions, and I was actually filming in the cemetery. I was actually amazed and disappointed at some reactions below. It was surely never our intention to, in any way, insult, shock or demean anyone or any place. Thus, we wish to offer our apologies to whoever felt insulted.

We chose to have the shoot there because it is one of the very few places in Malta where you can find neo-gothic architecture and the only one which gave various options for a photo shoot. The authorities collaborated with us and issued a permit as is usual practice. We had already filmed there prior to this episode, we had shot a scene for a short film. This film was shown on TVM as well.

Stanley Agius

Oct 23rd 2009, 12:53

Of course, I agree with a number who stated that a cemetery is and should be sacred. It definitely is sacred and a number of persons on Venere's team also have relatives buried there. Hence again, showing disrespect, was the last of our intentions. We treated this place as sacred and with respect throughout the whole duration of the shoot.

We mostly used architectural elements of the neo-gothic as a backdrop and the tombstones were almost never shown. During the programme we tried to highlight the value of such unique architectural design and encouraged the public to appreciate it. In hindsight, if people just read what is being said without having watched the programme, I can understand why a few can describe it as "bad taste". All people I spoke with, after watching the programme, did not share that opinion. It is obviously a subjective matter and no one can be absolutely right or wrong. We need to appreciate the opinion of those who disagree with us and maybe they need to appreciate our right to show our work.

Stanley Agius

Oct 23rd 2009, 12:53

I'd like to urge anyone to watch the programme before commenting as most often a totally wrong impression of what actually happened is given. One can view the contested photos by Bernard Polidano on the group "Venere on TVM" on Facebook. Whilst reiterating our apologies towards whoever felt upset, we'd regret it if the Maltese creative community's work is hindered by sometimes unfounded criticism.

joeblack

Oct 21st 2009, 13:53

Let me take a guess:

well over 50,
morning, afternoon and evening prayer…
still figuring out how to use your VCR…
good TV for you is “CAROSELLO”….
Dan Brown is the devil…

Come on guys it was just a photo shoot…no one said anything about the concerts and other photo shoots in the Co-Cathedral \ Cathedral ..aren’t the people buried there dead enough ..same thing with archeologists digging out the dead and exhibiting their bones and goods..

Anyways …bye bye

“allegria”

Oh oh ..that is bad taste too..Mike is dead ux….Infostrada …bad people..millions in bad taste…

Bottom line … Evolve!

P. Mizzi

Oct 14th 2009, 16:45

Really now, some people need to get a life!! I've seen the photos on Facebook and they look absolutely great in my opinion. They were professionally done using the architecture and trees as a backdrop. Addolorata is an interesting visual location and they used it. They didn't desecrate the tombs by doing the shoot there, on the contrary I feel they celebrated it!!

Maybe some pople imagined the models running around naked on the gravestones or something like that. Rest assured it's not the case. Surely the producers would have got permission from the cemetry management before going on national TV with this. They would be crazy to have done otherwise.

The Times should publish at least some of the photos to put people's minds at rest, maybe some will learn to check the facts before writing.

Mark Galea

Oct 13th 2009, 22:08

Quote: "Let the dead bury their dead".

Melissa Bagley

Oct 13th 2009, 21:49

Yes Alex, it is all a matter of opinion. There is no absolute right or wrong.

Alex Caffari

Oct 13th 2009, 21:02

Occurences such as these always bring out so many opinions from a diverse range of people, Maltese and otherwise. I also have an opionion on this particular matter which differs greatly from the ones I have read here today. However, I do not feel inclined to share it out of fear that I may offend someone. Too many people today are offended by others exercising their God given and constitutional rights to express their opinions, yet those who are offended, still assert their own right to express theirs without any regard towards who their opinions might be offending. This debate has nothing to do with respect for the dead as far as I can see, but rather more to do with who's opinion is the right one. Guess what folks... there is no such thing as right and wrong in opinions. We all have them and we are entitled to them. So please stop arguing over who should or should not be ashamed of themselves and start focusing instead on something productive you could do to help your community instead of criticize it for the rest of your life.

Claire Busuttil

Oct 13th 2009, 20:29

@ALL in favour of this shoot - It is not about `bluha zejda`, nor about fashion bla bla bla. It is just about respect towards our dear ones, who are no longer with us. Fullstop!!
A cemetry is a place where you go to think and maybe pray, for your loved ones, and not a place where to pose for photos!!!

Who gave such a permission, anyway??

Franco Farrugia

Oct 13th 2009, 19:28

It seems to me that Nigel Lawrence, D. Cohen and Deo Catania have absolutely no idea what 'sacred' means. Neither do they have any idea what 'good taste' is all about. Oh well. And we talk about culture and education! Shameful. Discouraging!

Janet Bayes

Oct 13th 2009, 17:20

A graveyard is NOT a place to be exhibiting oneself as a model. Lack of respect is shown all over these islands to living beings all the time. No-one blinks an eye - - indeed some even admit this nation has no manners. It is my opinion that no manners is equal to no respect - - for either the dead or the living.

VERONICA CAMILLERI

Oct 13th 2009, 17:18

Shame on you both. ..Mr. Cohen and Mr Lawrence. This is not only about the dead but about
us, the people they left behind. Of course they are past caring,but, we do. so please respect
us. Your lack of respect is highly insensitive.

D Cohen

Oct 13th 2009, 16:48

I agree with Nigel... Get over it, it was a fashion shoot and that's it. It is not about disrespecting the dead. They are DEAD! A graveyard is simply a place to remember these dead people at and if people want to use it as a backdrop, let them do it.

mario spiteri

Oct 13th 2009, 16:46

Lis - Sur Deo Catania. Hares lejn mera qabel tajjar lil haddiehor bi bluha. Qis kliemek qabel tikteb.

To Mr. Nigel Lawrence. If you don't respect your dead ones, others do.

Nigel Lawrence

Oct 13th 2009, 16:04

I expect the dead ( where ever they are) rather enjoyed it. There isn't a lot to entertain them over there, not including the traffic lights.

Get real folks. The dead are far beyond caring about anything.

Deo Catania

Oct 13th 2009, 15:56

Qiskom qatt m rajtu xejn, hafna bluha fil-vojt.

Joe Tabone-Adami

Oct 13th 2009, 15:53

This simply shows the abysmally low level of 'culture', 'education' and 'entertainment' the national TV station has reached in an effort to compete with well known foreign broadcasters with programmes such as Quark, Passagio a Nordest and so many others - if one really wants to improve oneself, that is. Otherwise, as I quoted on another occasion this is "what the dum dorah wants"

Mario Spiteri

Oct 13th 2009, 15:47

I haven't seen this programme, but if what Mr. Galea Debono is saying is true, and I do not have any reason to doubt this gentleman, then our Broadcasting Authority should crash down on this station and this particular programme's director and producer. We, the general public who pay an annual fee for each and every TV we have in our homes, just to finance this station, should KNOW what action is to be taken against such a blatant insensitivty.
And what about the Public Health and Church authorities? Did they know of this type of dessecration of our loved ones' resting place?

John Carmel Navarro

Oct 13th 2009, 14:52

Oh how sad that such filming took place at the Cemetery, I recall recently an issue that occurred involving poor language used in TVM Soaps/Serials. A number of people jumped to the TV Station defence, I wonder if there is anyone who condones this desecration, of a place that our loved ones are buried in. Yes disgusting and hurtful Mr Producer who ever you maybe.

Lina Caruana

Oct 13th 2009, 13:10

Such a macabre exposition reveals the state of mind that some people are in .Selling the peaceful grounds of the cemetry ( or robbing them ) for commercial purposes shows the disgusting insensitivity of money makers . Who is attracted by these feats leaves a question as to whether there are specific categories delighting in death instead of life.

Galea. L

Oct 13th 2009, 11:33

SIMPLY DISGUSTING