'Luzzu' trivia and fun facts
Maltese Entry for the Oscars
'Luzzu' was chosen by Malta to represent the country in the category for best international film at the 94th Academy Awards.
Improvisations
After casting Jesmark and David, Camilleri had them rehearse for months, describing a scene to them and then asking them to improvise. He recorded them and later rewrote the scenes according to these improvisations.
Getting Away from the Tourist Image of Malta
Camilleri also wanted to move away from the postcard image that we can expect from Malta, in particular by painting the reality of workers from Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Jesmark and David's Lives
Camilleri began to follow Jesmark and David Scicluna during their work to know their daily life, their fishing methods and their equipment.
Discovering an unfamiliar environment
Alex Camilleri is a filmmaker originally from Malta and based in the United States. He knew little about the field of fishing in Malta before shooting Luzzu, which is his first feature film.
A Revealing Expedition
Alex Camilleri, when he decided to make the film about the life of fishermen, stated: "However, the beauty of this traditional world inspired me. When I started my research, I understood that stories of family, destiny and sacrifice were very present in the lives of fishermen. [...] These expeditions nourished the writing of the screenplay".
The Title
The luzzu is a traditional wooden fishing boat from Malta.
Non-professional Actors
From the start, Camilleri wanted to entrust the main roles to amateurs in order to make his story more authentic. With casting director Edward Said, he surveyed various fishing communities for months, to no avail. Eventually, as Alex Camilleri was about to return to New York, he met in Ghar Lapsi, a small fishing hamlet in the south of the island, Jesmark and David Scicluna - cousins and fishing partners in the real life.