Hollywood actors Martin Sheen and his son Emilio Estevez will be attending the charity premiere of their movie, The Way, at the Embassy cinemas to raise funds for the Peace Lab on the initiative of the US Ambassador to Malta.
The event on February 28 marks two firsts: the first time the Peace Lab in Ħal Far, which provides shelter to asylum seekers, has ever asked for funding since it was set up in 1971 and the first time international film stars are attending a local premiere in over 30 years.
It was also rare for a movie to be premiered in Malta before the US and, in this case, every European country, except for Spain, where it was shot, said Charles Pace, managing director of KRS, which is also involved in the organisation, together with Icon Film Distributors.
The Way is expected to be released in Malta in April, together with the UK.
It is “the right film, with the right actors” for the cause, said US Ambassador Douglas Kmiec who was instrumental in arranging for the stars to come over “on a matter of heart, faith and social justice”.
It is not every day that popular actors who are so in demand and attract the crowds get to visit Malta for an event of the sort and Mr Sheen and his son will be attending thanks to their intimate friendship with Prof. Kmiec.
The last actor to attend a local premiere was Robert Powell for Jesus of Nazareth 32 years ago, said Mr Pace, highlighting the difficulty of attracting such big names to the island.
He recalled that an attempt to bring over director Steven Spielberg required the financing of a private jet from the US to Malta and back as he was in the habit of arriving a couple of hours before a premiere and leaving immediately after.
It seems, however, Prof. Kmiec did not have to try too hard to persuade Mr Sheen and his son to visit Malta for a charitable cause.
Mr Sheen, known also for his landmark film Apocalypse Now and his award-winning role in the NBC TV series West Wing, is a devout Catholic activist who has been a promoter of social justice over the years, championing the causes of poverty and homelessness, among others.
“As popular as they are, they will realise this (the work of the Peace Lab) is the real gift and that they are just underscoring it when they attend the premiere,” Prof. Kmiec said.
The touching movie is produced by actor and director Mr Estevez, who started his film career as part of the 1980s Brat Pack, with movies such as the legendary Breakfast Club.
The Way tells the story of an American doctor, played by Mr Sheen, who goes to collect the remains of his son killed in a storm on the Camino de Santiago.
Driven by profound sadness, he decides to undertake the historical 800-kilometre pilgrimage from the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain, with his son’s ashes in a backpack, leaving the “California bubble life” behind. As he walks what is also known as The Way of St James, he discovers his faith and the greater meaning of life.
“Because their representation of the pilgrimage is so orthodox, honest and candid, the Church was pleased to cooperate and the production had access to areas that were normally inaccessible,” Prof. Kmiec said.
“The movie is well-suited for this land of faith and family and will inspire and provoke serious thought,” he continued.
The event has a particularly personal significance for the ambassador, who lost two of his closest friends in a car accident he was involved in last summer. Prof. Kmiec survived but Sr Mary Campbell and Mgr John Sheridan did not.
Mgr Sheridan was also a great friend of Mr Sheen and the three would often find themselves “talking theology and social justice over tea and toast”.
Mr Sheen and Prof. Kmiec have also worked together on a series of televised conversations in support of Barack Obama’s run for the Presidency.
The ambassador yesterday praised the work of the Peace Lab, represented by Fr Dionysius Mintoff, which welcomed any stranger and was asking for help.
About 200 tickets for the premiere, which starts at 7 p.m., are available for free, with a suggested donation of €15 in aid of the Peace Lab. Forms can be downloaded from the websites of the Embassy Cinema Complex, the US Embassy and KRS Film Distributors and should be returned together with a cheque to the KRS offices, 13 Zachary Street, Valletta.