Luzzu

Released Oct 15, 2021

1 hr. 35 min.

Drama

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List

98%

60 Reviews

Tomatometer

78%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

A hardworking Maltese fisherman, Jesmark is faced with an agonizing choice. He can repair his leaky luzzu -- a traditional, multicolored wooden fishing boat -- in the hopes of eking out a meager living at sea for his wife and newborn son, just as his father and grandfather did before him. Or he can decommission it in exchange for an EU payout and cast his lot with a sinister black-market operation that is decimating the Mediterranean fish population and the livelihoods of the local families who depend on it.

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Critics Consensus

Beautifully filmed and emotionally impactful, Luzzu uses one man's story to capture the struggles of a region at a cultural crossroads.

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Nicky

A very hard to tell story that touches you emotionally and morally. The movie is authentic, very well acted, shot and produced. I highly recommend it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/17/21

Full Review

Phil S

Like a Mediterranean Dardenne Brothers film, this is a neorealist gem. Cinematography is by Léo Lefèvre ('I, Daniel Blake' for Loach) so it is a beautiful watch, even as the jeopardy for the central character - and the society as a whole - increases. And, at 94 minutes, it doesn't overstay its welcome.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/26/23

Full Review

john s

FISHY BUSINESS "Luzzu" starts innocently enough with a solitary fisherman plying his trade, and though it touches on a wide variety of big topics - fatherhood, tradition, working-class struggles, Brexit - as well as a thoughtful character study, it never loses the charm of the opening minutes. A story about a third generation Maltese fisherman, played by an actual Maltese fisherman, not only feels true, but has a warm vibe only good fiction can bring. You can almost smell the sea breeze. Stamped with his baby footprint, "Luzzu" is the colourful family boat passed down for generations, that serious family man Jesmark Scicluna puts to sea on a daily basis. Trouble is the fishing industry is morphing into an unsustainable one, for the little guys anyway. A new born with special medical needs, and thus costs, puts a strain on the family, and Jesmark is asked to consider a career change. Squeezed by big fish, various restrictions, and cutthroat, often illegal competition, this really is a lone man vs. the sea tale. While Jesmark's decision is a life altering one, and deftly describes the current political situation of many smaller European strugglers, it plays second fiddle to the personal trials of the defiant fisherman. A man of few words, he carries the weight of his world on broad shoulders, seeking to hold on to his heritage right to the breaking point. Though forced to play the new game in town, a seemingly beaten Jesmark closes the movie with a moving parable to his infant son. A story about a boat, which over the years has been patched up so many times that very little of it remains, but yet, it still remains that boat. "Luzza" is a clever and affectionate tale about conflict, struggle, family, and the determination to retain one's humanity. A winner all around. - hipCRANK

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

tom g

Better than just passing time. A story of the confluence of environmental issues, government regulations, and the laws of the marketplace on a charming, but antiquated, culture.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

dave d

Luzzu is a Maltese drama film directed and written by Alex Camilleri which portrays the dying fisherman industry in Malta. When boiled down, there are a lot of parallels to what goes on in America. The acting is great, the cinematography adds to the film's authenticity. The girlfriend arc is shoehorned and the scenes didn't contribute to the film's emotion. There's a scene late in the film that is just heartbreaking. A very fine film! Final Score: 8/10

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Absolutely beyond perfect. Incredible character development of a changing industry.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

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Alex Camilleri

Director

Jesmark Scicluna

Jesmark

Michela Farrugia

Denise

David Scicluna

David

Frida Cauchi

Carmen

Uday McLean

Uday

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Luzzu: Trailer 1

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Edward Porter

Times (UK)

Resembling a Ken Loach film with added sunshine, Alex Camilleri’s drama shows someone struggling against economic pressures in Malta.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 2, 2022

Full Review

Ed Potton

Times (UK)

Camilleri combines the pathos and character development of an indie film with moments of real tension — not something you can often say about the world of fishing.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 2, 2022

Full Review

Lucy Vipond

Little White Lies

The film achieves what it intends to, but perhaps lacks personality.

Rated: 3/5

May 24, 2022

Full Review

Farah Cheded

A Good Movie To Watch

As visually stunning as the titular brightly painted wooden boat [...] Luzzu also feels as preciously crafted, with its raw look at the realities of economic survival recalling the acutely painful dilemmas of classic neorealist cinema.

Dec 8, 2023

Full Review

Paul Kanieski

KSQD Community Radio

Luzzu is a social message film that avoids didacticism by distilling complicated globalization and ecological issues into a simple family drama.

Jul 26, 2023

Full Review

Vadim Rizov

Filmmaker Magazine

The aesthetic sensibility is verite, aggressively graceless handheld in the name of faux-verisimilitude, but the script’s been homogenized down to a series of predictable beats and the resulting over-familiarity entirely cancels out any atmospheric gains.

Nov 29, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

A hardworking Maltese fisherman, Jesmark is faced with an agonizing choice. He can repair his leaky luzzu -- a traditional, multicolored wooden fishing boat -- in the hopes of eking out a meager living at sea for his wife and newborn son, just as his father and grandfather did before him. Or he can decommission it in exchange for an EU payout and cast his lot with a sinister black-market operation that is decimating the Mediterranean fish population and the livelihoods of the local families who depend on it.

Director: Alex Camilleri
Executive Producer: Pierre Ellul, Josephine Camilleri, Michael Camilleri
Screenwriter: Alex Camilleri
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Production Co: Noruz Films (I), Pellikola
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Maltese
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 15, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 14, 2022
Box Office (Gross USA): $39.7K
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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