The Malta Airport Foundation launched last week a much-anticipated documentary, which puts the tiny islet plateau of Filfla and its surrounding waters in the spotlight.
The 30-minute documentary, which was filmed by an award-winning crew led by Alan Deidun, Pedja Miletic and Shaun Arrigo, plunges audiences into one of Malta’s marine protected areas, which is otherwise out of bounds to the public. This is the fourth underwater documentary shot on local Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s) by a team led by Alan Deidun, with the previous three such doc-umentaries being funded by the project PANACEA.
The tiny islet is home to unique species like the spiny lobster and stunning moray eels that only dare to venture out because of a lack of human interference. It also plays host to an underwater world of caves and crevices, unique limestone architecture, and a submerged war museum that is a thrill to explore while diving.
'The launch of today's documentary attests Malta Airport Foundation's commitment to promoting Malta’s hidden gems and adding value to the island’s southern region. This project becomes even more significant in light of the fact that Malta’s rich marine environment attracts over 60,000 scuba divers to the island each year,' said Malta Airport Foundation’s Chairperson, Mr Fredrick Mifsud Bonnici.
'Despite being an archipelago, the majority of the Maltese are not acquainted with the bounty of the waters lapping our shores... this documentary aims to change that, by firing up the imagination of whoever watches it about the restless nature of our seas and the complexities of the many forms of life which call it home,' said Prof. Alan Deidun from the Department of Geosciences at the University of Malta.
The documentary, which is available online, will be made widely available via TV features and online platforms so that as many people as possible are brought closer to the unique wonders and species harboured by Filfla's waters. In the first three days since its launch, the documentary has been viewed over 25,000 times on social media.
The Malta Airport Foundation was set up in 2014 to independently manage and implement the Airport’s Corporate Responsibility (CR) projects and investments for maximum impact and transparency.