Version in English follows the Maltese text.
Il-Poeżija u ċ-Ċinema
Il-Festival Mediterranju tal-Letteratura ta’ Malta ilu snin jitħabbeb mal-film tal-poeżija. L-ewwel billi offra spazju fejn jintwera frott id-dakkir ta’ dawn iż-żewġ forom tal-arti, u mbagħad billi kien strumentali biex jinħadmu dawn it-tip ta’ films, permezz ta’ proġett bi sħab mal-Fondazzjoni Valletta 2018.
Din is-sena, biċ-ċirkostanzi kif inhuma, kellna nipproporzjonaw kollox. Ammont iżgħar, però, ma jfissirx inqas kwalità. Anzi, fil-jumejn tal-festival se nuru żewġ films li rebħu għadd ta’ premjijiet, fosthom l-iktar premjijiet importanti waqt l-aħħar edizzjoni taż-ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival.
Il-Ġimgħa 27 t’Awwissu
The Opposites Game, ta’ Lisa LaBracio u Anna Samo, minn kitba ta’ Brendan Constantine, jaqbad fuq traġedja — waħda li għalkemm tinstema’ ’l bogħod taf iżżurna wkoll, speċjalment meta tqis aħbarijiet lokali reċenti. Dan hu film tal-poeżija b’mod dirett, għax hu dwar kif it-tiswir tal-kliem u l-ħsibijiet inibbtu poeżija. Kif biex tibda taħseb trid il-kliem, kif il-kliem jagħmel il-ħsieb sħiħ. Il-ħarsa f’dan il-film hi ta’ tfal li jippruvaw jaħfnu kunċett li hu aljen, imma li soċjetà perversa ppuntat lejhom u ġegħlithom jiffaċċjaw. Rebbieħ tal-premju Alfred Ritter fiż-ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival 2020.
Anna Samo 
Lisa LaBracio 
Is-Sibt 28 t’Awwissu
Évian, tal-kittieb mistieden ta’ din is-sena Ghayath Almadhoun (kemm bħala kittieb u kemm bħala direttur), jippreżentalna s-sitwazzjoni kerha li l-Mediterran qed jgħix wisq ta’ spiss. Il-film jagħmel dan billi ma jħalliniex indawru ħarsitna lil hinn mill-mewġ ibaqbaq bit-tant nifsijiet li għerqu fih. Ħlief għal mument, ħlief għal irdum akkużatorju, li jfakkarna f’kemm nafu ninsew. Rebbieħ tal-premju tal-Haus für Poesie għall-aħjar film tal-poeżija fiż-ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival 2020.
Ghayath Almadhoun 
Poetry on Screen
The Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival has long courted the poetry film. At first, the festival offered screening space for the love child of these two forms of art. Later, it helped the creation of such films, through a project run in partnership with the Valletta 2018 Foundation.
This year, with things being the way they are, we have had to downsize. Smaller portions, however, do not mean lesser quality — strong essences, small bottles. If anything, during the festival we are going to show two films which have won several prizes, including the more important ones during the last edition of the ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival.
Friday 27 August
The Opposites Game, by Lisa LaBracio and Anna Samo, from a poem by Brendan Constantine, deals with a tragedy. One which may seem to unfold far away, but which might hit us too, especially in the light of recent local news. This film is a poetry film in every sense of the word, because it is about how the stitching of words and thoughts knits a poem. How you need words to start a thought, and words to make it whole. The perspective belongs to children trying to grapple with an alien thought, but which they find themselves forced to stare at by a perverse society. Winner of the Alfred Ritter prize at the ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival 2020.
Saturday 28 August
Évian, by one of this year’s invited authors, Ghayath Almadhoun (as writer and filmmaker) forces us to consider the gut-wrenching situation that the Mediterranean keeps witnessing all too often. It does so by locking our gaze onto waves bubbling with the stifled and stolen breath of so many, with one exception: to drag us through a canyon raised in remembrance of our forgetfulness. Winner of the Haus für Poesie award for the best poetry film at the ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival 2020.
