Tonight, cinemagoers can take in the mastery of Russian film-maker Andrei Tarkovsky through the last film he made, The Sacrifice.

It is a visionary masterpiece which unfolds at the dawn of a nuclear holocaust. Erland Josephson, in an award-winning role, plays Alexander, a retired actor who is celebrating his birthday with his family and friends at his isolated home by the sea.

They are shockingly interrupted by the announcement that a holocaust is with them, that World War III has begun.

In desperation, Alexander immediately strikes a bargain with God, where he would relinquish all his earthly possessions and part with his loved ones if only they could be spared from the oncoming horror.

But the beauty in Alexander’s sacrifice is in that no one realises what he is trying and willing to do in order to save his family. It is essentially a stark reflection on humanity’s indifference and loss of spirituality.

The film is being screened as part of the Sculpting Time: Andrei Tarkovsky Retrospective remastered in new digital prints. The screening of arthouse, festival and foreign films is a foremost priority in the Spazju Kreattiv cinema programme.

Furthermore, the culturally diverse nature of such productions conforms to its strategy of promoting different aspects related to the concept of identity, diversity and legacy.

The Tarkovsky screenings are an off-shoot of a major retrospective on the celebrated auteur currently touring a number of cinemas across the UK.

■ The Sacrifice is being screened tonight in French and Swedish with English subtitles at St James Cavalier, Valletta, at 7pm. It carries a 12A classification. For more information, visit http://kreattivita.org .