Over the past few weeks there has been a significant input of Maltese cultural events to Australia. In the past, such events have been few and far between and have left our Maltese brethren overseas in a state of cultural limbo.
Firstly, as part of CHOGM Cultural Outreach concert programme, the visit by the Cosmos Wind Ensemble, described as ‘Malta’s most dynamic chamber music ensemble’, gave concerts in Sydney and Melbourne where a considerable audience turned up to listen to them.
A programme consisting essentially of music by Maltese composers, included not only the inevitable Charles Camilleri, but also the younger composers Albert Garzia and Ruben Zahra. This music, so inspired by the Maltese environment, certainly evoked a sense of nostalgia.
The second event to hit Australia was the film Simshar, hailed as the first ever Maltese film to get international distribution. Already making a considerable impact in the wider cinematic scene, this film deals with the very topical and equally distressing theme of migrant and refugee upheaval and the threats they face as they endeavour to escape impossible conditions at home and search for safe havens away from home.
It has been the dream of Maltese migrants to see films where the actors speak Maltese (albeit not always with a perfect dialectical accent) in a genuine Maltese environment.
More importantly perhaps is the idea behind this film and the message that it propagates. It highlights the dangers faced by those who are so desperate that they prefer to face almost insuperable odds and often succumb to terrible tragedies at sea.
It is an intelligent film that puts a human face to the asylum seekers who are all too often portrayed as a nameless, faceless – and therefore less than human – problem that Europe is forced to deal with.
It clearly implies that once any normal person is made aware at first hand of their vicissitudes, even the most hardened anti-migrants are quite likely to change their negative views and come to sympathise with their plight. (In this respect one is reminded of a recently produced SBS film: Go Back to Where You Came From, which is equally powerful in this respect.) The subtlety of Simshar comes from the way it conveys most of its emotional impact and message through the experience of a Maltese fishing family, who must also battle the sea to survive.
Some might have hoped for glitzy panoramic views of Malta aimed at well-heeled tourists. Instead we get a gutsy, raw and powerful exposé, a realistic picture of life at sea. We have also been largely spared the exaggerated overacting which has been the regular fare on local productions for television. At long last, we have a genuine Maltese product that we are proud to show to the general international public.