Malta has had its fair share of hits and misses in the adverts it has strategically tried to position on international television stations over the years.

However, the Malta Tourism Authority really has struck gold with an advert it has placed on the History Channel – a very popular television station that is aired in Malta, the UK and many other parts of Europe. To put oneself in the picture, this channel pumps out documentary after documentary on historical themes – ancient wars, the mediaeval period, WWII, the knights’ era and many more.

The advert features a shot of Valletta from the air, a fortified city, and one could easily be forgiven for thinking that it was an extension of the programme rather than an actual advert. It also features the catchphrase: “Malta, where the past meets the present”. It is a truly well shot advert. It is short, to the point and targets a specific audience which is inevitably interested in history and culture. Suffice to say, the advert is brilliantly positioned, has the right frequency of repetition and it is easy on the eye and ears.

This is all very positive. But why do we not develop the idea further? While one does occasionally come across a mention of Malta in some documentaries – it is more often than not in passing. A mention or two in a wider documentary about the Mediterranean WWII theatre, a section about the Knights of St John, a small info spot about the temples is all we have seemed to manage.

But there is so much more potential. As we have mentioned, there is the story of WWII that can be told and retold time and time again without losing its appeal. The story of the Great Seige of Malta when the Knights and the Maltese fought off the Turks is another epic story. The temples are a mystery all to themselves. We have the raw material, but now we really do need the tools to make these dreams come to life on the television screen.

Malta has sunshine 300 days of the year, which is a massive incentive to any producer or filmmaker. But it is a known fact that there are constraints such as in the editing process and the lack of soundstages. This essentially means that producers sometimes have to send footage for editing outside Malta to be done overnight in case of a need to re-shoot certain scenes. In addition, the sound accompanying the movie (or documentary) sometimes entails double the work as it sometimes has to be done outside the country.

One cannot fabricate history. One cannot shoot a documentary about the Knights of St John in Romania (where it is cheap and there are excellent tax breaks to shoot film), simply because the knights had no history there.

We have it all, we have the story, the buildings still stand, and what’s more, they are still alive and we have restored a fair amount of them to their former glory. We must do more to get into this business. Documentary television has a massive following around the world and this tiny island really does have some amazing stories to tell. We should do our utmost to get it on film and into people’s homes. While it will inject money into the economy, it is a ‘free’ advert which will be watched by millions. If they hear our grand stories, they will want to come and experience Malta for themselves.