With the local film industry going from strength to strength, Jo Caruana celebrates the release of L-Iskorpjun, a thriller set to hit cinemas on Wednesday.
When is it safe to trust someone? And when should you learn to keep your wits about you? These are just two of the questions posed by L-Iskorpjun, a locally produced thriller being released by KRS on Wednesday.
The dynamic film, which was shot in 2009 and produced by MSD Sound & Vision, promises audiences plenty of mystery and intrigue as its exciting plot plays out. Written by Sandra Davis and Joseph A. Cachia, it tells the story of a family with the perfect life – only things aren’t set to stay perfect for very long.
In the story, Selina Vella (played by Ms Davis) has earned the enviable reputation of a lawyer who has never lost a case. Meanwhile, her husband Ralph (Manuel Cauchi) is an airline pilot enjoying the desirable status of training captain. Life couldn’t be better, especially as their daughter Angelique (Joelene Micallef) is following in her ambitious mother’s footsteps by studying law.
“Things really are brilliant for them,” explains Ms Davis, who took inspiration for the story while working in the airline business herself. “But, of course, there’s a twist. Angelique starts dating Russell (Andrè Penza) and he quickly wheedles his way into their world. What they don’t know is that he is a blast from their past, and is hell bent on hateful retaliation for long-forgotten events.
“There’s so much going on in the story and momentum really picks up as the conclusion comes into view. It’s full of exciting twists and turns, and I am sure that audiences will love it.”
With a well-known cast that also includes the talents of Fabian Scerri de Carlo, John Suda and Joe Quattromani, L-Iskorpjun looks set to pull quite a crowd at the box office – which will make the team’s determined efforts well worth it.
“Due to a lack of adequate finance, we’ve all had to wear more than one hat,” continues Ms Davis, who also directed the piece. “We had hoped to give roles to more people and to have a larger technical crew, but it didn’t work out that way.
“It was actually very encouraging that all of the actors agreed to be part of this project without us being able to confirm their fee. Those of us involved in the local film industry definitely do it out of passion, which inspires us to create the very best product that we can, despite the financial limitations.”
Nevertheless, Ms Davis and her team believe that the film industry in Malta is certainly growing, and they hope to witness even more advancements in the future.
“Every step forward for an individual production company is a step forward for the whole industry,” she says. “It is developing slowly but surely, and we’re looking to the future.
“I’d like Malta’s to have its own, established film industry but I do think that this is still quite a way off. Very few of us work on this full-time, so the results are all based on the hours we put in on our own time. It’s very rewarding, and we’re always grateful when the public supports us.”
So support them we must. And, thankfully, with a script as engrossing as this and a cast as enjoyable, I don’t think it will be much of a problem!
• L-Iskorpjun also features Henry Zammit Cordina, Anthony Ellul, Doreen Cini, Tessie Fedele, Jonathon Bonello, Pierre Bugeja, Connor Church, Nadine Grech, Erica Bartolo, Jane Schembri and Darren Marmara. It is edited by Melvin Schembri, with Joseph A. Cachia as executive producer and music by Ray Sciberras.