“𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙧 𝙈𝙖𝙣”: First Screening in Malta

Event by M.A. in Film Studies at UM, Faculty of Arts – University of Malta

Valletta Campus Theatre – University of Malta

Public  · Anyone

Day: Sunday 𝟱 𝗠𝗮𝘆 2024

Time: 𝟭𝟴:𝟯𝟬

Following its world premiere screening in Porto Alegre at the “Fantaspoa” festival, the M.A. in Film Studies at the University of Malta is excited to announce the second-ever showing of 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙧 𝙈𝙖𝙣, a documentary directed by 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘆, 𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘆 (Université du Québec à Montréal), and 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝘂𝗻𝗻 (University of Birmingham), and produced by 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗿.

The 1973 cult film 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘯, hailed by Christopher Lee as the best film he ever starred in, not only endured a troubled production but also suffered as a box-office flop upon its initial release, tragically impacting the life of its director, 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘆, and his family. Five decades after the making of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘯, Robin Hardy’s lost papers from the years 1970-1974 came into the possession of his son Justin, thanks to the kindness of a stranger. These papers shed new light on the various phases of the film’s production and provided Justin and his half-brother Dominic with a deeper understanding of their father, with whom they shared an emotionally intense yet strained relationship.

What sets this documentary apart is Robin Hardy’s perspective, as conveyed through his sons. While previous sources have primarily focused on the viewpoint of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘯’s renowned scriptwriter, Anthony Shaffer, or other contributors who often portrayed Hardy unfavourably, 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘯 offers a glimpse into the director’s own experiences during the film’s creation, a crucial aspect that had previously been overlooked.

In 2016, Robin Hardy made his last public appearance in Malta, where he delivered a mesmerising masterclass and engaged in a lively Q&A session following the screening of the “final cut” of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘯. Both events were organised by the Faculty of Arts’ M.A. in Film Studies. For Hardy, this was not just a routine trip; it was a moment of acknowledgment. Despite knowing that his days were numbered, he was determined to visit Malta and present his masterpiece one final time. Therefore, his children Justin and Dominic, along with Chris Nunn, chose to film the documentary’s concluding segment in Malta, retracing the footsteps of their late father.

𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘯 will be screened on Sunday 𝟱 𝗠𝗮𝘆 2024 at the University of Malta’s 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗲 (St Paul’s Street, Valletta) at 𝟭𝟴:𝟯𝟬.

𝙰 𝚀&𝙰 𝚜𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝚙𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚌 𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚕𝚢 𝚒𝚗𝚟𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚍, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚍𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚎.