An Estonian who stumbled across the Msida festa by coincidence has turned his chance discovery into an audio-visual love letter to his newly-adopted home. 

Alksandr Belugi heard fireworks last weekend and decided to see where the noise was coming from. "Being a photographer, I grabbed my camera just in case," he told Times of Malta. "Boy, was it a great decision!"

The video footage he shot showcases some of the things so near and dear to Maltese festa-lovers' hearts, from lit-up churches to nougat sellers and the spectacular multi-colour firework displays. 

"I think many Maltese take the beauty of their island for granted - and I'm not talking about the obvious stuff like the Blue Lagoon or amazing beaches," Mr Belugi said. "It feels like I was meant to be born here."

The photographer and law student - Mr Belugi is determined to master the Maltese language, practice law locally and become perhaps the first Estonian to speak Maltese - says the video won't be a one-off. 

"I am planning on making more," he said, "because I wanted to give back to Malta and show its beauty through the camera's lens to the rest of the world.

"Everyone needs to know where Malta is and everyone needs to go there at least once," he added.