Film-maker Mario Philip Azzopardi explains what is holding the Maltese theatre and film industry back from reaching its full potential.
While the Maltese have fared very successfully in the sphere of literature, music and fine arts on an international basis, the same cannot be said for the performing arts.
As things stand, it is impossible to feed a family, if you are a professional theatre person in Malta
Film-maker, director and writer Mario Philip Azzopardi believes the reason is simple: Malta still lacks a structured scheme to help theatre and film script writers develop their talents into financially viable skills.
“It is worrying that foreign, mainly British plays, have become the only staple on our stages,” he says.
“Although attendance is encouraging, more often than not, these plays address powerful and compelling experiences that have very little to do with the Maltese experience, angst, realities, dreams and fears. This results in the importation (and substitution) of cultural values just as we import our cars and TVs, at the cost of marginalising national and cultural heritage, traditions and identity.”
Azzopardi believes that given a chance, the local theatre-going public is very receptive to Maltese productions of a high standard. Attendance figures for his last two original Maltese productions, Sulari Fuq Strada Stretta and Xbihat ta’ Xi Wħud Li Huma Kattoliċi, suggest he is correct. Both productions played to full houses at the Manoel Theatre and were financial successes.
Azzopardi recognises the importance of the latter. This is why he believes that a government investment and incentives scheme are urgently needed to offer professional training to potential script writers who can create works in Maltese.
“The performance arts need development. Writing a play and getting your wife or friend to read it and give you their opinion is not the kind of development I am talking about. The profession needs serious, intense work-shopping, a system that is non-existent in Malta. This is what we tried to achieve with Fundazzjoni Avventura launched last year,” Azzopardi says.
Fundazzjoni Avventura was created with the purpose of developing new theatrical plays in Maltese and was made possible through a Malta Arts Fund grant, with production investment from the Manoel Theatre, Sulari Productions and from Azzopardi himself.
The foundation is expected to launch the first season dedicated completely to Maltese theatre – aptly named L’Istaġun tat-Teatru Malti – early next year.
Productions are decided upon by the foundation’s board of directors – Franica Pulis and Marie-Louise Vella under Azzopardi’s artistic direction.
“This approach is relatively new for Malta and is based on the idea of commissioning, rather than a free-for-all open competition. It guarantees the authors a fee for their work, irrespective of whether the play is produced or not.”
So far, three plays have been commissioned according to pre-decided themes. Six months later, the first drafts have already been given a reading performance by established actors. This was done under the direction of experienced directors on stage at the Manoel.
“For the first time in Malta, playwrights had the chance of seeing what their work could look like, not during rehearsal stage but during the development process of the script. Before embarking on the second draft, a feedback session was conducted between the chosen cast and a selected panel of critics.”
Of course, it is not a given that every script submitted makes it to the next stage. One of the scripts, in fact, is now in what Azzopardi describes as “turnaround”, after it was decided that “no amount of work was ever going to make it reach the standard hoped for”.
“The author was paid for the first draft, of course. The two remaining writers finished their respective second drafts three months later. This time, we invited a small audience to attend the reading and every line and every scene was scrutinised. The audience challenged the author on every element of the script.”
This process was repeated over four different drafts of each script, with the final production draft due in December in time for the start of rehearsals.
The two successful playwrights were Albert Marshall, with L’Indemonjati u Maltin Oħra and Clare Azzopardi, with In-Nisa Maltin Jafu Kif. The two productions are slated for the last weekend in February and the last weekend in March respectively.
This encouraging start led Azzopardi to kick off discussions with another five authors to develop original works for future editions of L’Istaġun tat-Teatru Malti.
Azzopardi stresses that all those involved in the development process of the productions were paid for their services. While acknowledging that Maltese theatre survives because of the voluntary efforts by all artists involved, he insists artists should be better paid.
“As things stand, it is impossible to feed a family, if you are a professional theatre person in Malta.”
The talk drifts from theatre to the film industry, which Azzopardi believes is “not the best it can be”. He puts this down to a lack of proper management and development, adding that the industry needs a structure similar to that provided by Fundazzjoni Avventura.
Moreover, he believes the Maltese market cannot support the amount of television stations that are currently active.
“The advertising revenue is seriously depleted. It would serve the public better to have funds funnelled into one, or at the most two, national stations. The fact that you have two political parties running their own stations and controlling their own interpretation of news does not help, either. They have totally fragmented the market, making it impossible for anyone to afford a good drama production that is supported by advertising revenue. This results in substandard, often unwatchable productions of a mediocre level. It is the Maltese public that suffers.”
What about financial grants from the Malta Film Fund? Azzopardi acknowledges that the fund is an excellent vehicle for local consumption. However, he has reservations about the procedure for the application process, which doesn’t cater for assisted, monitored development by professionals in the field.
“With proper management and development, the fund could be producing two commissioned feature films a year, with a grant of €60,000 each. When one considers what is spent on Maltese productions today, a budget of €60,000 is a huge step forward. So far, we do not have much to show for the hundreds of thousands of euros spent. The films produced will never recoup in Malta and the chances of their being sold abroad are very slim. With the process I’m suggesting, Malta could end up with 10 Maltese feature films in the next five years.
Azzopardi is referring to films that have been properly developed under the guidance of professionals, leading to a new generation of film-makers who can aspire to work internationally .
Even so, this does not tackle the issue of Maltese film-makers with international aspirations. With the existing Film Fund budget standing at around €250,000 a year and an hour of prime-time television in the US costing a minimum of $2m or more, the maths doesn’t allow for foreign-aired productions.
Azzopardi’s proposed solution to the impasse might sound controversial, but he insists it is completely viable.