Granada revisits Malta with ‘Ghostboat’
Ghostboat’ a mini series produced by Granada for Independent Television (ITV) is the latest UK television production to film in Malta. The low-end budget production is made up of two episodes with a running time of ninety minutes each and is scheduled for transmission next year.
The film is about a British submarine that submerged in 1943 after encountering an electric storm whilst on a mission to attack a German naval fleet in Riga. The boat resurfaces after 38 years, in perfect condition. Naval intelligence decide to recreate the original mission to understand why the submarine resurfaced with the help of the only survivor now residing in Malta. However, after they set sail, the souls of the original submariners start to take over the new crew in order to continue carrying out their first assignment.
The drama stars popular UK television actor David Jason and is directed by Stuart Orme and produced by Kevin Reynolds. The production filmed on stages in Rome and Leeds, and at the Mediterranean Film Studios and other locations in Malta.
The film will be distributed internationally by Granada however to date there are no sales confirmed for this project.
(November 11th, 2005)
‘The Da Vinci Code’ wraps production in Malta
The filming of the feature film ‘The Da Vinci Code’, scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on or about 17th May 2006 ended in Malta this weekend.
The contemporary thriller takes place over one day in Paris and London. Malta was chosen as a setting for a number of 'flash-back' scenes. Principal photography began in Paris on 29 June 2005.
'The Da Vinci Code' is based on the bestselling fictitious novel of the same name by the author Dan Brown. The feature film is Sony/Columbia Pictures production, directed by Ron Howard and is produced by Brian Grazer, John Calley and Todd Hallowell. The A-list cast is led by Tom Hanks in the leading role, supported by Jean Reno, Audrey Tautou, Sir Ian McKellan, Alfred Molina and Paul Bettany.
The filming in Malta lasted 2 days and locations at Siggiewi, Marsaxlokk and Vittoriosa were used. Of the principal cast, only Paul Bettany will feature in the scenes shot in Malta.
(November 6th, 2005)
'Die Pamir' disaster re-created at the Malta Film Studios
A film about a marine disaster that occurred on 21 September 1957 when a merchant navy training ship ‘Pamir’ was caught in a hurricane and sunk with 80 people on board, including 50 cadets is currently being filmed at the Mediterranean Film Studios.
‘Der Untergang der Pamir’ is a mini-series produced by Polyphon Film-for ARD-Degeto, one of Germany’s main public channels. The low-budget production is made up of two episodes with a running time of ninety minutes each and is scheduled for transmission in October 2006.
The drama features a German cast and will be shot in German. It is directed by Mr. Kaspar Heidelbach and produced by Matthias Esche.
Polyphone Film is a member of the Studio Hamburg Group, the largest European Film and Television Studio. Polyphone employs 45 employees and numerous freelancers. It won various prestigious awards in Germany for television films and documentaries. ARD/Degeto is one of two public broadcasters in Germany, comprised of a network of 16 local stations, each of which is owned by a state government. The film will also be shown on two subsidiary channels of ADR, NDR and Arte.
The film will be distributed internationally by Telepool GmbH, however to date there are no international sales confirmed for this project.
(October 1st, 2005)
Spielberg's film named Munich - report
Steven Spielberg's new film about the Israeli campaign to assassinate the Palestinian terrorists responsible for the 1972 Olympics massacre has been officially titled Munich, leading entertainment magazine Variety reported yesterday.
Tight security has made it practically impossible to get any information about the film, which Mr Spielberg is currently shooting in Malta.
The project has been mired in controversy since reports surfaced that the film was based on a book called Vengeance, whose accuracy has been widely questioned, Variety said.
Steven Spielberg's spokesman Marvin Levy told Variety much of the Vengeance criticism was the result of a misinformation campaign waged by Israelis who had been upset that the book revealed the assassination squad was authorised by Minister Golda Meir. For the third week running, Munich is being filmed in several locations around Malta, with shooting taking place once again in Valletta yesterday.
But the film has not been without hitches. A brand new Mercedes truck containing equipment belonging to Mr Spielberg was engulfed by flames last week, leading to rumours that the set was being sabotaged due to the film's terrorism theme. Eventually foul play was ruled out and the police put the incident down to negligence.
In the meantime, many people have been making a quick buck by renting out their properties for the film or having their shop-signs modified into some foreign language.
Passengers landing at Malta International Airport on Friday would have been forgiven for thinking they had landed in Israel by mistake because a section of the airport hoisted Israeli flags while place names and traffic signs were in Hebrew.
(Article taken from The Times of Malta: July 26th, 2005)
'Godspeed' sails on Maltese waters
A German independent feature film ‘Godspeed’ scheduled for release in all German territories next year, started filming in Malta on Wednesday 12 July 2005.
The screenplay is a thriller based on the tragic true story of a group of friends that end-up stranded in the open sea whilst on a sailing trip in Central America.
The filming which is scheduled to last 35 days will be conducted at the Mediterranean Film Studios and on several other locations around the islands. Malta is doubling for a Central American country. The film is directed by Hans Horn and features Niklaus Lange, Sara May Pratt and Cameron Richardson.
‘Godspeed’ is produced by the German production house Orange Pictures GmBH and co-produced by two other Munich based firms Universum Film GmBH (a subsidiary of RTL Group) and Shotgun Pictures GmBH.
The film is also benefiting from the financial rebates made available by the Government of Malta.
(July 17th, 2005)
Spielberg starts filming in Malta
Hollywood's Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg is in Malta to shoot the as yet untitled movie that was originally scheduled to be filmed last summer.
The production is wrapped in a shroud of secrecy due to its sensitive subject matter - the terrorist attack during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich - but sources said filming started in Bugibba earlier this week. Other locations have not been disclosed.
The controversial movie is about the hunt for the Palestinian terrorists who murdered 11 Israeli athletes at the games. But little more is known. The director, famed for his Hollywood blockbusters, seems to be keeping mum about his latest project.
"Such is the secrecy that even the Israeli spymasters, who commanded the reprisals after the Munich games, have been left out in the cold," according to Reuters.
Entertainment reports say the film, provisionally titled Vengeance and due to reach cinemas in December, is based on a book by the same name whose account of this painful chapter in Jewish history has been widely discredited.
The recent Reuters report also points out that the movie project has been "comprehensively researched" and built on several sources to give a balanced view.
It quotes Mr Spielberg as saying it is an opportunity for him to explore his Jewish faith and fear of terrorism.
The untitled project, as it is being referred to, stars Eric Bana, who was in Malta two years ago to play Hector in the blockbuster Troy. The low-profile Australian actor rose to fame in the movie Hulk (2003) and was just surfacing into success at the time. He had told The Times in an exclusive interview he had had a great time in Malta: "We rented an apartment and the weather's been fantastic. It's a really good place for the kids because the weather's good and you can always do something". Pity they "didn't get a chance to do too much holiday stuff because I've been busy on Troy".
Hailing from Melbourne, Mr Bana had heard of Malta and was curious to visit. "That's the fun part of the job. You end up in different places and have time to get a feel for them," he had said, probably little knowing he would be back... and so soon... to get an even better feel.
Also starring in the film are Daniel Craig, who was last year seen in Layer Cake, and in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in 2002.
Mr Spielberg, without any doubt one of the most influential personalities in the history of film, had paid a flying visit to Malta in April of last year to look at the island's potential as a filming location. However, "creative issues" had delayed the shooting of the movie in Malta - by a year.
Back then, Sky News had announced that the postponement of the film was due to the current sensitive political climate, which had led the director to put it on hold, although, on the local end, the reasons given were of a "creative" nature.
Mr Spielberg's latest epic, War Of The Worlds, is about to be released in Maltese cinemas and is being promoted as the leading blockbuster of the summer. Among the director's most memorable films are Jaws, ET, Schindler's List, Raiders Of The Lost Ark and Catch Me If You Can.
(Article taken from The Times of Malta: July 1st, 2005)
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'Blackbeard' on board at MFS
A major docu-drama on the 18th century sea robber ‘Blackbeard the Pirate’ is currently filming in Malta at the Mediterranean Film Studios and on various locations around the islands.
"Blackbeard: the Real Pirate of the Caribbean", the two-hour special documentary will be broadcast next year on National Geographic and BBC to coincide with the theatrical release of the sequel of Disney’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’.
The project is produced by Dangerous Films of the UK and will be shooting in Malta for 5 weeks.
This is not the first time Malta is hosting an audiovisual production about pirates. Past productions include Roman Polanski’s 'Pirates' (1984) and 'Cutthroat Island' (1994).
(June 7th, 2005)
'Creative issues' delay Spielberg film shooting in Malta
by Fiona Galea Debono
Film director Steven Spielberg (Schindler's List, E.T.) is said to be postponing his latest film project about the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, which was scheduled to be shot in Malta this summer.
Spielberg, without a doubt one of the most influential personalities in the history of film, as well as one of the wealthiest film-makers in the world, was in Malta in April on a fleeting visit, scouting for potential locations for his movie.
Although it has yet to be made official, Malta was to be one of the locations for the controversial movie about the hunt for the Palestinian terrorists who murdered 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.
A number of extras have already auditioned and have been selected to take part in the movie, which has been delayed before and has now been postponed to next spring.
Last week, Sky News announced the postponement of the Spielberg film due to the current, sensitive, political climate. It said the "sensitive subject matter and the current political climate has led the director to put the production on hold".
Asked to confirm the reason quoted for delaying the movie, the film's local production manager said: "The only climate we are worried about is the weather.
"We have been delaying the film for various creative reasons, which are now taking us into the winter. There are still some important creative issues that need to be sorted. That's all!"
The production manager said he was awaiting news from the Maltese government about incentives and that Malta was still "very much on the cards", despite rumours that the producers were considering shooting the film in Eastern Europe instead, because of the lucrative incentives on offer there.
A couple of thousands of extras had auditioned for the movie at the Catholic Institute in May. Those selected are now being informed that they would be called next spring once filming preparations resume. Meanwhile, any applications would remain valid and be held for the next two years for consideration for other productions filming in Malta.
Local coordinators thanked the Malta Film Commission for its assistance, as well as the Mediterranean Film Studios and Malta Drydocks for their continued support in view of the film's delay.
In the yet untitled film, which Sky News said was called Vengeance, actor Sir Ben Kingsley is said to have dropped out because of the delay, while Eric Bana, who played Hector in Troy and has, therefore, already filmed in Malta, is reported to head the remaining list of stars who have signed up for the movie.
The local production manager, however, said the creative talent would be announced at a later stage once everything was confirmed.
(Article taken from The Times of Malta: August 18th, 2004)
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Truly, madly... in love with Malta
Actress Juliet Stevenson (Mona Lisa Smile, Bend It Like Beckham) was sick at the thought of having to leave Malta.
The leading lady in the movie Clarion's Call, whose shooting has just ended after five weeks, confessed she "absolutely loves the island", which rekindled delightful childhood memories of 40 years ago.
Ms Stevenson lived in St Andrews between the age of six and eight, her father being in the British Army and stationed here. During her stay in Malta for the filming of the romantic comedy - her only return since then - she sought out her old home, which still stands, although it has been divided into two apartments.
Even though she was so young, Ms Stevenson still harbours "hundreds of happy memories". Malta had such a "huge impact" on her and she has made it a point to pass that on to her two children, who accompanied her.
"Malta was as idyllic as Gozo is today," she recalled, pointing to the urban sprawl as one of the major changes between then and now. One town literally merges into the other, she said. But even though it can get confusing, she knows her way around and considered her family to be "regulars".
Compared with the throbbing city of London, where Ms Stevenson lives with her family, "everything is so manageable" in Malta.
During her stay she lived in Attard and was overwhelmed by the fact that her daughter could run around the streets on her own. "It's wonderful - the safety and the friendliness. When you live in a city like London, you step out of the door and people start shouting at you. Everything is a battle...
"I've been very happy here and it is quite alarming, in a way, to think how much happier we are here than we are able to be in the city we live in.
"We've already made so many friends, who I'd love to see again. I fantasise about having a house here and have talked to my husband about it. I would love it. For children, this is better..."
Ms Stevenson is one of the few actresses who shuns the American scene. She has always been wary of Hollywood's transitory and ephemeral nature.
"You may be flavour of the moment for a minute, but it never lasts. In the UK, if you are careful and lucky, you could go on working your whole life without being subject to fashion. I hate all that. I just want to get on with my craft."
Besides, Ms Stevenson could simply never live in America and claims: "I would feel more foreign than I do in Russia."
In Clarion's Call, a Canadian/UK/Maltese co-production, Ms Stevenson's "gorgeous" character is a woman who brings her family to Malta on a vacation, but has a secret agenda - a date from 25 years ago with a man with whom she had had a mad, passionate affair on the island.
She describes the script and its overall message as brilliant and "resonant". Her character is "well observed and I instantly felt I knew it; although I'm not in her situation, she is not a million miles away from me.
"It's wonderful to have a script like this for women of my age; otherwise you get to play endless mothers, wives, or partners. I'm not complaining, but it is wonderful to have a part where you are the emotional centre of the piece."
In Clarion's Call, the narrative is driven by this woman's heart and mind. "Like all good things, you cannot really define it. It's about a woman's life - confusions, longings, fears, passions and insecurities, multiple responsibilities as opposed to dreams. It's all about real life, but the way in which the story is told is quite comedic.
"It's about real feelings, but translated into something light. When I first read the script, I wrote on it: 'think soufflé'; don't weight it down." Ms Stevenson often does that - finding images and scribbling notes on her script.
"I don't identify with the character's story at all. She did everything the other way around. Work was everything to me and I had children late" - Ms Stevenson had her second, three-year-old son at 43. "I couldn't have done it any other way...
"But I do identify with the way she is... Under any sort of emotional pressure she cannot stop talking to anybody, even to herself. She's an open character, easy to read, transparent and unable to lie...", Ms Stevenson said, slipping into the role and gesticulating wildly as her character would have done.
If Ms Stevenson were not an actress, she would have been involved in human rights - a subject that has always interested her.
"If I were ever ambitious for anything when I was younger, it was for change. I like the idea of making a difference; that what you do changes the quality of life for the better. I've always been haunted by the idea that I'm not being useful enough."
Truly Madly Deeply (1991), a film about a woman who is heartbroken by the death of her boyfriend, is an example of Ms Stevenson making a change. Today, the movie is used in bereavement counselling and she is chuffed about it.
"Every role is significant in its own way, but certain roles last much longer in your memory and mean much more to you than others." Truly Madly Deeply is one of these.
Ms Stevenson is passionate about many issues, but particularly, she is at war with junk television that is fed into a child's mind. "I'm very suspicious of TV," which depresses children, makes them hyper and aggressive, she feels, trying hard to control what her children watch.
Coming to Malta has allowed her children to get in touch with nature and lead a slower, more peaceful life - another reason why she loved it so much.
Ms Stevenson is about to return to the theatre after an absence of five years due to the birth of her "little boy".
"I did so much theatre when my daughter was a baby and was out every night, missing out on the chance to put her to bed."
The hands-on mother in the actress - a vital facet of Ms Stevenson - is still apprehensive about her return. Her children are clearly a priority and the most important and exciting part of her life. She works hard to strike a balance between her career and her family, although she modestly complains that she is constantly struggling and feels that she gets it "more wrong than right".
"It is not easy, switching from one role to the next, and a great strain in that I can't spend the amount of time I want to prepare for a part. I find that creatively frustrating. You need to have your dream time, which I don't have much of..."
I left Ms Stevenson, aware that it would be "difficult" for her to slip straight into her role in Clarion's Call without having a moment to herself in between.
But, on second thoughts, "being a parent teaches you to switch off and on pretty fast, throw yourself in and out," she said, clicking her fingers in the air.
"I used to really live inside something and almost not come out, but I cannot do that now. They (her children) are joining me for lunch and I have to make decisions about what kind of bread to buy..."
(Article taken from The Times of Malta: April 26, 2004)
Celebrity yacht at Manoel Island
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Kalizma, a 165-foot classic yacht that was owned by actor Richard Burton and his wife Elizabeth Taylor, is up for sale for £3 million, British weekly Sunday Express yesterday reported.
The boat is currently berthed at Manoel Island and has been visiting the island for a few years.
The luxurious Edwardian motor boat could be seen moored close to the Savoy Hotel along the Thames in the 1960s and 1970s.
Kalizma was Mr Burton's present to Miss Taylor after she won an Oscar for Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf. It had cost the Welsh-born actor £80,000 to buy it and twice as much to restore. The Burtons named the boat after their three children, Kate, Liza and Marie.
Regular guests on the Kalizma were writer Tennessee Williams and actor Rex Harrison.
The British tabloid said Kalizma's present owner is an Indian entrepreneur, Vijay Mallya, who spent hundreds of thousands of pounds to restore it to its original condition.
(Article taken from The Times of Malta: April 5, 2004) |
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BBC ends 'docudrama' shooting on Gozo
Filming on Gozo of a BBC docudrama about Greek myths, Gods and Goddesses, was completed last week.
Locations included Mgarr ix-Xini and Fungus Rock, as well as Comino.
Gods and Goddesses was shot in Morocco over one month, and ended with a seven-day shoot in Malta, involving some 50 extras and dancers. The crew consisted of around seven British and 25 Maltese nationals.
Presented by TV star Jonathan Edwards, the series is being aired in June on BBC1.
Maltese assistant director Simon Sansone said it was based on an analysis of two Greek myths: Jason and the Argonauts and The Odyssey, shot more like a dramatic film, than a documentary.
The docudrama was also shot at the water tanks, where a fierce storm was created. The Mediterranean Film Studios (MFS) also provided a Greek boat for filming in the open seas.
With most of the filming occurring at sea, the schedule was totally weather-dependent. But with intelligent planning and a stroke of good luck, filming was completed ahead of schedule, Mr Sansone said.
The series is directed by Jean-Claude Bragard, with Chris Openshaw as director of photography.
The Producer's Creative Partnership (PCP), on behalf of the BBC team, thanked the Maritime Authority, the local councils and the Armed Forces of Malta for their cooperation. Filming was also conducted from a helicopter, provided by the AFM.
(Article taken from The Times of Malta: March 30, 2004)
'Clarion's Call' shooting in Malta
A Canadian/Maltese/UK film entitled Clarion’s Call started shooting in Malta on Sunday 14th March. The independent production is a romantic comedy, produced by David Gordian (Honeymoon, Sleeping with Strangers) and written and directed by Canadian Joan Carr-Wiggin (Honeymoon). It stars UK actress Juliet Stevenson (Mona Lisa Smile, Truly Madly Deeply), French actor Tcheky Karyo (The Patriot, Goldeneye) and US actor Daniel Stern (Home Alone) in the key roles. Shooting is taking place in Attard and other locations. Malta will feature as Malta in the story, and not doubled for another country as is usually the case with films shooting on the island. A substantial percentage of the crew is local; this production has employed more Maltese in key creative and technical roles that are usually occupied by foreign personnel. Filming is expected to go on for five weeks. The film is a Canada/Malta/UK co-production, produced by Canada’s Kiss Me Productions, Ashdale Films Malta Ltd, and the UK’s Film Services Ltd. Extras have already been recruited for this film. The BBC is also shooting part of its Greek mythology docu-drama series entitled ‘Gods and Godesses’ in Malta this week. Filming is taking place at the Mediterranean Film Studios and on Gozo.
Malta doubles for Turkey
Various locations around the islands including Valletta, Sliema and Mdina will double for modern day Istanbul, for the shooting of the UK mini-series titled "She's Gone" starring popular UK actor Ray Winstone.
The film will wrap in Malta in December.
Byron Broadcast on BBC1
September 2003 saw the British television premiere on BBC1 of Byron, a two-part biographical drama about the “mad, bad and dangerous to know” poet, which featured several locations on Malta and Gozo.
Starring Jonny Lee Miller of Trainspotting fame as Byron, the production used Cittadella, the magnificent 17th-century citadel on Gozo to double for Greece in 1811, while Villa Bulebin in Zebbug and Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar doubled for villas in Venice and Pisa.
Praise for the drama came from the Observer, whose TV reviewer Kathryn Flett wrote: “Miller is almost perfect as Byron. The combination of pacy scripting and louche direction (from Nick Dear and Julian Farino) works well.”
Oliver Stone films Valletta for Alexander epic
In August 2003, Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone visited Malta for the making of his forthcoming epic about Alexander the Great, Alexander, starring Colin Farrell as the all-conquering hero. Stone led an eight-strong crew that shot footage of Valletta’s Grand Harbour from several vantage points, including Fort St Elmo, Upper Barrakka and Senglea Point.
In the finished film, the footage will be used to double for the ancient port of Alexandria in digitally enhanced visual effects shots. The film was shooting in Morocco in autumn 2003, before moving to the UK for studio work.
The Da Vinci Code’ wraps production in Malta
The filming of the feature film ‘The Da Vinci Code’, scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on or about 17th May 2006 ended in Malta this weekend.
The contemporary thriller takes place over one day in Paris and London. Malta was chosen as a setting for a number of 'flash-back' scenes. Principal photography began in Paris on 29 June 2005.
'The Da Vinci Code' is based on the bestselling fictitious novel of the same name by the author Dan Brown. The feature film is Sony/Columbia Pictures production, directed by Ron Howard and is produced by Brian Grazer, John Calley and Todd Hallowell. The A-list cast is led by Tom Hanks in the leading role, supported by Jean Reno, Audrey Tautou, Sir Ian McKellan, Alfred Molina and Paul Bettany.
The filming in Malta lasted 2 days and locations at Siggiewi, Marsaxlokk and Vittoriosa were used. Of the principal cast, only Paul Bettany will feature in the scenes shot in Malta.
(November 6th, 2005)
Troy Cast Say Goodbye to Malta
After filming on the island for ten weeks, the star cast of Warner Brother’s epic $150m Troy, led by Brad Pitt, Eric Bana and Orlando Bloom, flew out of Malta in July 2003, and headed for Los Cabos, Mexico for the final part of the shoot, involving spectacular battle sequences.
The production filmed on Malta at a huge set built at Fort Ricasoli, as well as at locations in Mellieha, Comino, Golden Bay, Gnejna Bay, Riviera, Mtahleb and Hal Far, which doubled for Greece, Sparta and Troy. The film will be released in the US on May 21, 2004.
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