How embarrassing it must be for our new Minister for Film to be lumped with a Film Commissioner who is a walking, flashing, unpredictable box of tricks, which sadly, it appears, neither he can rein in or shake off.
Owen Bonnici hasn't been responsible for the film industry for more than a few days, and our Commissioner has immediately taken it upon himself to serve some fresh embarrassment for him and the entire industry. This time, as has been openly shown by now, he decided to doctor the infamous Ridley Scott interview clip, to leave out the unsavoury retort about Malta's touristic offering, and try to pass it as a flattering remark.
In fact, if it weren't for the entire clip being published separately, perhaps he would have gotten away with it. But alas, this is 2025, and these things are hard to keep stowed away.
Sadly, this is symptomatic of the very crux of the matter. The Film Commissioner is so absolutely obsessed with himself, and self-centred, that he just couldn't let the opportunity of praise pass by, even if it was marred by that remark. Anyone else, perhaps in a rather Machiavellian way, would have let the interview go, and try not to draw any attention to it. But the Film Commissioner could not resist the temptation. The man who will not give up on the opportunity to have his selfie taken with the A listers his industry brings, couldn't let it go, and did the greatest of cardinal sins - doctoring a clip to portray the exact opposite of what was being said.
I will not go into the merit of what the super star director said, in passing, half-jokingly, and perhaps in jest. I will neither stoop so low as to rub the generous rebate in that particular production's face, in an attempt to try to dish out some sort of comeuppance.
I am however very interested in why the director feels that way. When someone of the calibre of Sir Ridley speaks, even if it is in jest, I feel more compelled to listen and understand. Perhaps we all can learn a thing or two, as to why the award-winning director felt the need to dissuade fellow super star Christopher Nolan, arguably one of the greatest directors of the 21st Century, from holidaying on our shores.
We have been saying it over and over again how Malta is losing its charm, and we are effectively killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. We are replacing our cute, characteristic townscapes with soul-less glass-clad concrete behemoths that express absolutely no beauty, and no one will point their camera phone at them. Is this perhaps part of the problem?
Back to the tax rebate, I cannot stress enough how the Nationalist Party is in complete agreement with this policy and way of attracting new projects. How could it not be, when it was a Nationalist Government that introduced this legislation many, many years ago?
Our entire economy is built on a whole plethora of tax rebates and incentives that are designed to not only collect funds, but also attract investment. It is how we have managed to attract various industries, building a competitive business proposal for investors who are offered a compelling product for their ventures.
The same applies here, and the Nationalist Party will not allow anyone to try to spread any falsehoods about the subject. We have complete faith in all the film industry.
We want to build on the successes of the past and look ambitiously at the future of this exciting industry. We know that some age-old challenges remain, such as the need for a proper sound stage that could generate a brand-new stream of activity and bolster year-round business.
We must create the necessary infrastructure to help the local film industry grow, from pre-production, up to post, as we nurture it into becoming a real player that is capable of telling our stories to the world, in a beautiful, sustainable and effective way.
But we also want to continue supporting the film servicing industry, to continue flourishing into the future. We want to build on the platforms we have created and make them work even better, for the betterment of the industry itself, and for it to continue contributing directly to the economy.
Julie Zahra is the Opposition's Shadow Minister for Cultural Heritage, Arts, and Culture