Simshar

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Simshar

In Sydney, the Maltese film Simshar is currently being shown. The Maltese film industry has produced many globally-renowned films made in Malta, like Troy, Popeye and Gladiator, but this is the first one I know, full length (almost 2 hours), filmed almost completely in Maltese and with English subtitles, and showing around the world.

I took the opportunity to view it at a Leichhardt theatre.

The main story, based on a true story that occurred in 20081, is of members of a Maltese family that together with an immigrant went fishing in the Mediterranean on a boat with the film's namesake, which end up sinking after an on-board explosion. The film by Rebecca Cremona shows very well the distress of those in the middle of the sea, and that of their family on land, until just one of those on board is found after days at sea.

Part of the film shows another fishing boat where fishermen see this group clinging to objects floating on the surface, and instead stopping to give help continue with their fishing, leaving them behind, commenting that God forbid them gathering very immigrant they encounter!

This comment reminded me of another tragedy occurring years before in 1996. I was still living in Malta when the Yioham tragedy occurred, where another vessel collided with this boat, sinking with almost 300 Pakistani immigrants aboard. I'm still amazed when I remember reading about fishermen hauling up bodies, or body parts, from the sea in their nets and throwing them back in the water!2

In fact, the film's story revolves around the background of that blight on humanity in the form of refugees. In the film, at the same time of the sinking of the fishing boat, another event was taking place (also based on a true story happening in 20093) of a Turkish vessel (in real life named Pinar E) that gathered tens of immigrants from sinking boats, and was left bobbing around the Mediterranean for days on end until Italy and Malta decided between them who was to take responsibility.

I enjoyed watching the scenes from Malta in the film, and also listen to our sweet language. I also peeled my eyes to see if I could recognise anyone familiar, and wasn't disappointed as I saw Clare Agius, a familiar face on TV, who had a prominent role, and also an old school friend Gabriella Callus who I remember at the New Lyceum at l-Imsida, who was visible in a short scene.

However the subject matter and the background of the film left me sad, probably as the unhappy ending has more to do with reality than fantasy.

I've always been lucky to live in countries that during my lifetime did not see any serious conflicts, hunger or deprivations, and heard, read and saw these situations through the media happening in other countries: Ethiopia, Sudan, Rwanda, ex-Jugoslavia, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq and now Syria.

Each one of these countries has produced refugees, o technically, asylum seekers: people, individuals, families, whole communities fleeing unbelievable atrocities, pleading for a nation in a country perhaps more advanced, mature or calm, take pity on them.

By the end of 2014, there were 55 million people around the world forced to leave their homes, those coming from Syria alone 11.5 million.4 The scale of this problem is astronomical.

As we know, some of these refugees pass through Malta, which is located in one of the mail routes for several of these peoples. Brought up in a Catholic family and country, my tendency is to look at these people with compassion, and expect that countries feel a moral duty to offer every assistance.

I was always amazed to note that many people around me hadn't the slightest sympathy for these refugees, even those who I thought were quite devout and Church-going. Apart from a lack of sympathy, they also expressed anger and hostility for those that had the temerity to pass through Malta (many times without even knowing) on their way to Europe.

From a very young age, I realised that for many people, being Christian merely meant not missing Sunday Mass and not having sex before marriage. Perhaps they don't know that Jesus had said that if you had two shirts, you should give one to the needy (Luke 3:11). Perhaps they think it had been Jesus who had first said “I'm all right - f*** you Jack”.

Today, there are several political groupings that generally display this anti-immigrant, anti-refugee and anti-multicultural attitude. Malta has its Imperium Europa, Australia has One Nation, France has Front National and you could go on.

Nevertheless, I take heart to see some positive moves, such as that recently in Europe with the decision to distribute 120,000 refugees amongst the members of the EU this year. This happened despite the opposition of some EU members: the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary.5

There was a positive development in Australia too. A month ago, it was decided that Australia would accept 12,000 refugees from Syria, additional to those that are taken every year6. Also this week, a decision has been taken that refugees on Manus Island would not longer be kept in detention, which I had argued against in the 80th edition of The Voice .

Is the devil slowing down?

Simshar

Bħalissa f'Sydney qed jintwera l-film Malti Simshar. L-industrija Maltija tal-films rat lil ħafna films ta' fama globali jiġu miġbuda f'Malta, bħal Troy, Popeye u Gladiator, imma dan hu l-ewwel film li naf, twil ta' dan id-daqs sħiħ (kważi sagħtejn), miġbud kważi kompletament bil-Malti u s-sottotitli bl-Ingliż, u jintwera madwar id-dinja.

Ħadt l-opportunita' li mmur narah f'tijatru f'Leichhardt.

L-istorja prinċipali, ibbażata fuq storja vera li ġrat fl-20087, hija ta' membri ta' familja Maltija li flimkien ma' immigrant imorru jistadu fuq dgħajsa fil-Mediterran bl-isem tal-film, li tispiċċa tegħreq wara splużjoni abbord. Il-film ta' Rebecca Cremona jpinġi tajjeb ħafna l-qtigħ il-qalb ta' dawk f'nofs ta' baħar, u tal-familjari tagħhom fuq l-art, sakemm wieħed biss minn dawk kollha abbord jiġi misjub wara ġranet il-baħar.

Parti mill-film kien jinkludi biċċa fejn dgħajsa oħra ta' sajjieda rat lil dan il-grupp iggranfat ma' oġġetti jgħumu fil-wiċċ, u minflok waqfu għall-għajnuna komplew bis-sajd tagħhom u ħallewhom warajhom, bil-kumment li allaħares jiġbru kull immigrant li jiltaqgħu miegħu!

Dan il-kumment fakkarni f'diżgrazzja oħra li kienet saret snin qabel fl-1996. Kont għadni noqgħod Malta meta seħħet it-traġedja tal-Yioham, fejn bastiment ieħor ħabat magħha u għereq b'kważi 300 immigrant Pakistani fuqu. Għadni mbellaħ niftakarni naqra fuq sajjieda li kienu jtellgħu iġsma, jew partijiet minn iġsma, mill-baħar fix-xbieki tagħhom u jergħu jitfgħuhom fil-baħar!8

Fil-fatt, l-istorja tal-film tiżvolġi fl-isfond ta' dik il-ġerħa tal-umanità fil-forma tar-rifuġjati. Fil-film, waqt li kienet qed isseħħ l-għarqa tad-dgħajsa tas-sajd, kien qed iseħħ avveniment ieħor (ukoll ibbażat fuq storja vera li ġrat fil-20099) ta' bastiment Tork (li fl-istorja vera kien jismu Pinar E) li ġabar għexieren ta' immigranti minn dgħajjes li kienu qed jegħerqu, u tħalla jitbandal fil-Mediterran għal ġranet sħaħ sakemm l-Italja u Malta ddeċidew min kien se jieħu responsabbiltà tagħhom.

Ħadt pjaċir nara x-xenarji Maltin fil-film, u nisma' lill-lingwa ħelwa tagħna. Kelli wkoll għajnejja mġebbdin biex nara nilmaħx lil xi ħadd familjari, u ma kontx iddiżappuntat meta rajt lil Clare Agius, wiċċ familjari fuq it-TV li kellha parti prominenti, kif ukoll ħabiba antika tal-iskola Gabriella Callus li niftakarha l-Liċeo tal-Imsida, li dehret f'xena qasira.

Però s-suġġett u anke l-isfond tal-film ħallewni b'ċerta dieqa, probabbli għax it-tmiem ċertament mhux feliċi iktar għandu x'jaqsam mar-realtà milli mal-fantasija.

Jien li dejjem kelli x-xorti noqgħod f'pajjiżi fejn fi żmieni ma kienx fihom kunflitti serji, għaks jew ġuħ kbir, dejjem smajt, qrajt u rajt mill-midja dawn is-sitwazzjonijiet iseħħu f'pajjiżi oħra: l-Etjopja, is-Sudan, l-Irwanda, l-eks Jugoslavja, il-Palestina, il-Libanu, l-Iraq u issa s-Sirja.

Kull wieħed minn dawn il-pajjiżi pproduċiet ir-rifuġjati, jew teknikament, dawk li jfittxu ażil f'pajjiż ieħor: nies, individwi, familji, komunitajiet sħaħ jaħarbu minn ħruxijiet li bilkemm jitwemmnu, li jokorbu li xi poplu ta' pajjiż forsi iktar żviluppat, matur jew kalm, iħenn għalihom.

Sal-aħħar tal-2014, kien hemm 55 miljun ruħ madwar id-dinja mġiegħla jitilqu minn darhom, u dawk ġejjin mis-Sirja biss 11.5 miljun.10 L-iskala ta' din il-problema hija astronomika.

Bħal ma nafu, uħud minn dawn ir-rifuġjati jgħaddu minn Malta, li tinsab f'waħda mir-rotot prinċipali ta' diversi minn dawn il-popli. Imrobbi f'familja u pajjiż Kattoliku, it-tendenzi tiegħi huma li nħares lejn dawn in-nies bil-ħniena u nistenna li l-pajjiżi jħossu d-dover morali li joffru kull assistenza.

Dejjem kont nibqa' skantat ninnota li ħafna nies madwari ma kellhomx l-inqas simpatija għal dawn ir-rifuġjati, anke minn dawk kont narahom devoti u 'tal-Knisja'. Mhux biss nuqqas ta' simpatija, imma anke rabja u ostilità għax kellhom l-ardir li jgħaddu minn Malta (ħafna drabi mingħajr ma jafu) huma u sejrin lejn l-Ewropa.

Minn żmien bikri tat-tfulija tiegħi, irrealizzajt li għal ħafna nies, li tkun Nisrani kien ifisser biss li ma titlifx il-quddiesa ta' nhar ta' Ħadd, u li ma tagħmilx sess qabel iż-żwieġ. Forsi ma jafux li Ġesù kien li qal li jekk għandek żewġ qomos, għandek tagħti waħda lil min hu fil-bżonn (Luqa 3:11). Forsi jaħsbu li kien Ġesù dak li lissen għall-ewwel darba 'Jien orrajt ħabib - int mur inħ***' (I'm all right - f*** you Jack).

Illum, jeżistu diversi gruppi politiċi li ġeneralment jħaddnu din l-attitudni anti-immigranti, anti-rifuġjati u kontra l-multikulturaliżmu, u dawn igawdu appoġġ mhux żgħir. Malta għandha l-Imperium Europa, l-Awstralja għandha One Nation, fi Franza hemm Front National u tista' tibqa' sejjer.

Madankollu, inqawwi qalbi meta nara lil xi pass pożittiv, bħal dak li sar riċentement fl-Ewropa, fejn ttieħdet deċiżjoni li 120,000 rifuġjat se jitqassmu bejn il-membri tal-UE din is-sena. Dan sar minkejja l-opposizzjoni ta' xi pajjiżi tal-UE - ir-Repubblika Ċeka, ir-Rumanija, is-Slovakja, l-Ungerija.11

Fl-Awstralja wkoll, kien hemm xi zviluppi pożittivi f'dan ir-rigward. Xahar ilu ġie deċiż li l-Awstralja se taċċetta 12,000 rifuġjat mis-Sirja, addizzjonali għal dawk li jittieħdu kull sena12. U din il-ġimgħa, jidher li ttieħdet deċiżjoni li r-rifuġjati ta' Manus Island mhux se jitħallew iktar fid-detenzjoni, ħaġa li kont argumentajt kontriha fil-ħarġa numru 80 ta' The Voice.

Tgħid ix-xitan qed ibatti xi ftit?

1http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/simshar-review-maltas-heartbreaking-tale-of-migration-pressures-20150929-gjwrwh.html, retrieved 6/10/2015

2http://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/jun/10/davidrose.rorycarroll, retrieved 6/10/2015

3http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/world/europe/20migrants.html?_r=0, retrieved 6/10/2015

4UNHCR Global Trends 2014, Annex Table 2.

5http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/11883024/Europe-ministers-agree-relocation-of-120000-refugees-by-large-majority.html, retrieved 7/10/2015

6http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/abbott-government-agrees-to-resettle-12000-syrian-refugees-in-australia-20150909-gjibqz.html, retrieved 7/10/2015

7http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/simshar-review-maltas-heartbreaking-tale-of-migration-pressures-20150929-gjwrwh.html, retrieved 6/10/2015

8http://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/jun/10/davidrose.rorycarroll, retrieved 6/10/2015

9http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/world/europe/20migrants.html?_r=0, retrieved 6/10/2015

10UNHCR Global Trends 2014, Annex Table 2.

11http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/11883024/Europe-ministers-agree-relocation-of-120000-refugees-by-large-majority.html, retrieved 7/10/2015