The Valletta Film Festival is today presenting the film Styx, a drama directed by Austrian film-maker Wolfgang Fischer and filmed in Malta in 2016. The film,  which is in the main competition, depicts the transformation of a strong woman torn fromher contented world during a sailing trip.

Susanne Wolff stars as Rieke, a German woman preparing her sailboat for a journey across the Atlantic Ocean.

When she becomes the only person to come to the aid of a group of refugees shipwrecked on the high seas, she is shown the limits of her importance and the empathy of her cultural milieu. She is left slipping impotently from one nightmare to the next and, by the end, she is forced to recognise that there is no way to counter the cruelties of real life; only chance can save her.

The film follows the protagonist closely without any dialogue, except for a few moments of speaking on the radio. It is all about the visuals and most of it is shot so realistically it feels like a documentary.

This film shows just how powerful silent storytelling can be. All the audience needs to do is watch what is happening and look closely at the details.

Styx is screening at Pjazza Teatru Rjal today at 9pm. For tickets and more information about other films showing at the festival, visit www.vallettafilmfestival.com.

The Valletta Film Festival is supported by Arts Council Malta through a cultural partnership agreement.

Other screenings today

▪ The Poetess at St James Cavalier at 1pm

▪ Short Film Programme A at St James Cavalier at 3pm

▪ The Thunder Feast at St James at 5pm

▪ The Return at St James Cavalier at 7pm

▪ Angels Wear White at Valletta Campus Theatre at 8.45pm

▪ The Greenway Alphabet at Embassy Cinemas at 2pm

▪ Pin Cushion at Embassy Cinemas at 4pm

▪ Supa Modo at Embassy Cinemas at 6pm

▪ Pity at Embassy Cinemas at 8.30pm

▪ Wild Strawberries at Valletta Campus Theatre at 2.30pm

▪ Green Days by the River at Valletta Campus Theatre at 4.30pm

▪ Ma’ohi Nui, in the Heart of the Ocean My Country Lies at Valletta Campus Theatre at 6.30pm

▪ Genesis 2.0 at St James Cavalier at 9.15pm

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