Jesmark, a struggling fisherman on the island of Malta, must make an agonising choice: repair his leaking luzzu – the traditional wooden fishing boat that has been in his family for generations – or decommission it in exchange for a government pay-out.
Faced with the temptation of making easy money working for a black-market fishing operation, Jesmark must reconcile his desire to preserve tradition with the need to provide for his young family.
The Sundance Jury award-winning and critically acclaimed debut of writer-director Alex Camilleri recalls the neorealist traditions of Luchino Visconti, Roberto Rossellini and Ramin Bahrani, and offers a glimpse into the beauty of an island rarely portrayed in cinema.
This film is showing as part of the Chiltern Film Society season. Showings are open to non-members. Seating is unreserved – simply purchase a ticket and choose your seat when you arrive.
“A future neo-realist classic ”
In Maltese
with English subtitles

Find out what top film critic had to say about Luzzu, The Elgiva and the CFS on his radio show.
Broadcast Saturday 14th January.
Skip to about 1hr 15minutes in!