The reasons for such an infatuation
Malta attracts film producers for many reasons. The success is largely due to the diversity of the seasons (desert weather in summer, green in winter and spring), 300 days of sunshine a year, but also to the presence of varied landscapes: the blue lagoon in Gozo and between the islets of Comino and Cominotto, the wild beaches of Golden Bay and Ramla Bay, the Calypso cave, the ruined temples of Ggantija and the arid desert regions. Without forgetting the presence of cities capable of spanning the ages. From the modern setting of towns such as Sliema and St. Julians, historical reconstructions are carried out by placing the camera in towns with ancient and baroque architecture, such as Mdina, Valletta and Victoria.
Maltese Productions
Although Maltese films do not enjoy international recognition, they have the merit of existing and may well arouse the curiosity of film lovers. One example is Angli: The Movie, a 2005 action feature film directed by Mario Busietta and adapted from the TV series of the same name. It tells the story of two elite police officers, Anglu and Gabriel, who have to protect high-tech equipment being tested at Malta's international airport. Another example is Qerq, a thriller released in 2007.
Malta, a land of welcome for the shooting of many foreign films
If John Huston's The Maltese Falcon remains THE most famous film when it comes to the archipelago - although it has absolutely nothing Maltese about it - many other box-office hits have been shot there. Let's quote The Spy Who Loved Me in the James Bond series, Ridley Scott's Gladiator, or Steven Spielberg's Munich. Great directors, therefore, but also big names in the film industry, such as Robin Williams in Robert Altman's Popeye , shot in Anchor Bay, whose village designed for the film's purposes is now an amusement park. And how could we not mention Brad Pitt in Troy, in 2004, at Fort Rocasoli. The great American actor was also part of the impressive cast of Angelina Jolie's film By the Sea, released in 2015. The filming occasionally disrupted the island of Gozo for almost 6 months, from the cliffs of Ta' Cenc to the bay of Mgarr Ix-Xini. Other world-famous films include Alan Parker's Midnight Express, banned from shooting in Turkey, Louis Leterrier's Clash of the Titans, Fantastic Peplum, The Da Vinci Code by Ron Howard and Alex Kurtzman's The Mummy . Also worthy of mention are French productions: Le Comte de Montechristo with Gérard Depardieu, including the treasure scene shot in the Santa Marija cave in Comino, Largo Winch by Jérôme Salle, partly shot in Malta, and Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra by Alain Chabat.
Malta and the series
Feature films are not the only ones to benefit from the precious setting of the Maltese archipelago, and the shooting of several series should also be highlighted. Let's mention Sinbad, a British TV series, but also and above all the great hit series Game of Thrones, which has thrilled audiences all over the world over 8 seasons. Multiple scenes were shot in Malta, at Fort Manoel, in the steep landscapes of Mtahleb, in the gardens and palaces of San Anton, but also around the beautiful natural arch of Azure Window in Gozo, which unfortunately collapsed in 2017 following a storm.
