Towards the end of last year, the Rural Affairs and the Environment Ministry participated in the 23rd edition of the Agrofilm International Festival, held in Nitra, Slovakia.

The documentary entitled A Taste of Carob was once more among the winners. An international jury awarded A Taste of Carob the prize of the Agriculture Minister of the Republic of Slovakia.

The annual festival attracts a large number of participants. This year, 92 documentary films from 23 countries around the world participated in the festival. The documentaries vie for the grand prix of the festival, prizes in four different categories and prizes contributed by leading Slovakian institutions.

A Taste of Carob is a documentary that takes a look at the world of carob, its history, botany, products and past and present uses, and at the same time highlights the carob’s connection with the many historical, natural and cultural aspects of the Maltese Islands.

The carob’s importance as a source of food, fodder, honey, medicine, seeds and wood is explored, with particular attention being given to the many processed products obtained from its pods that are generating new interest in this Mediterra-nean tree.

The tough job of creating this documentary was entrusted to Antoine Zammit, who was responsible for filming, direction and post-production. Department of Agriculture official Carmelo Briffa took care of the research and, together with Anthony Parnis, wrote the script.

With this documentary, Antoine Zammit adds another exceptional work to a series of prize-winning documentaries submitted to the festival. Previous winning entries were Rehabilitation of Wied il-Qlejgha, The Maltese Cheeselet, A Pinch of Salt and A Glimpse of Wool.

Mention must be made of the many volunteers whose help was instrumental in the production of this highly interesting and informative documentary.

Credit also goes to the sole sponsors, APS Bank, whose financial support made this film a possibility.