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14 THIS WEEK CULTURE maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 SEPTEMBER 2018 It's not your average garden visitor, but for people who live or work – or watch birds! – near or at sea, the great cormorant (M. margun) is a frequent sight, though rarely actually common around Malta. A sturdy large waterbird, sleek and muscular, with iridiscent black plumage and piercing green eyes, the cormorant is a stunning sight. These birds love shallow bodies of water, so a wetland like Għadira or Salina is a godsend to this species. As you watch this bird glide through the water, arching its snake-like neck before diving for a fish, you certainly do not want to be that fish. The cormorant's pièce de résistance (for me at least) is this strange habit of sitting with its broad wings spread open, presum- ably to dry them out after a dive. And when one strikes this pose right on top of that stone cross in the middle of Salina, it really steals the show. Now that Salina has come under BirdLife man- agement, this site will hopefully become a safer haven for cormo- rants and other wildlife. The movement from ensuring certain levels of productivity to looking at farmers as 'service- providers' has meant a shift in budgets and goals. The CAP is now seen as a policy that aims to not only provide food on people's plates but also provide services that embody European values regarding landscape, na- ture, rural life and biodiversity. While the the main goal still re- mains to support farmers, and provide jobs and innovation in rural areas, there are also many policy goals geared towards consumers. For consumers, this trend has meant that the current CAP promises to make efforts on food safety and health, ani- mal welfare, environment and prices. The CAP also promotes food quality and diversity. Under the CAP, 750 traditional local foods are protected along with thou- sands of wines and spirits. This ensures that Europe is protect- ed from the market being over- run by unhealthy and bland in- dustrial processed foods, while also protecting regional Euro- pean traditions. Further ini- tiatives have also ensured that CAP also pushes for high food quality standards and leads on organic foods. (to be continued) 624. GREAT CORMORANT Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 527: Find out more and register at www.foemalta.org/nature Text & Photo Victor Falzon Future of CAP: EU policies on your plate (part II) What is Boulevard? This is an adaptation of a play written by Francis Ebejer in 1964. This was a time when character theatre was at its apex, with theatre productions such as 'Waiting for Gogol' fuelling social and intellectual debate across Europe and the United States. People were asking 'What is life? And what is the purpose of life?" Like the characters on stage, people were left waiting for a ship to nowhere, to anywhere, willing to take that journey without even knowing – or caring about – the ship's final destination. What attracted you to this project? I was approached by Teatru Malta and I immediately accepted because I was fascinated with the project's dynamism, having actors working closely with dancers. The script itself is very rhythmic and interesting and all this was very attractive and I could not refuse. Moreover, I am fascinated by projects that feature adaptations of earlier works. I find there is something peculiar about revisiting certain classics. And Boulevard definitely fell into this niche. Add to that the fact that I always felt Francis Ebejer's was sidelined over the years … That pushed me into accepting the challenge of bringing Boulevard to a new audience. This year is the 25th anniversary since Francis Ebejer's passing away. How relevant is his work today? Francis Ebejer's work was sidelined but it was never dismissed or rejected. Some universal pieces remain relevant through time, because their underlying themes tend to be of interest to the audience, wherever and whenever they are staged. This production tackles the question of life and has the characters asking, 'Will we ever change?" Certain elements that were relevant in the 1960s remain relevant today, even if at a different magnitude. Boulevard invariably revolves around communication and how people communicate with each other. And in today's world of social media and fake news, nothing is perhaps more importance than communication. In this project, the characters kill God and set up a regime, then they do away with the regime and nd up with total freedom. And that has them asking, "Now what?" In an uncanny parallel, we are now somewhat going through the same things again, as a wave of populism attempts to bring down established structures. Towards the end of the script, one of the characters ends up as a monument and other characters find themselves placing f lowers at the foot of the monument without knowing who or what the monument stands for. Fast forward to today. How many people actually know what the monuments we have across our country represent and the history behind them? Who is your target audience for this production? The energy of the piece is quite uplifting and chaotic and literally leaves the actors and dancers breathless after 70 non-stop minutes. Anyone interested in contemporary theatre and contemporary dance would be in for a treat. So would anyone who attended the original production in the 1960s. And ultimately, Boulevard is for those interested in witnessing a new collaboration between dance and stage. TEATRU Malta, in co-production with Teatru Manoel, is bringing back an adaptation of Francis Ebejer's modern classic, Boulevard. The performance will be held between 6 and 9 September at the Manoel Theatre, under the direction of Toni Attard with choreography by Paolo Mangiola, as part of the Francis Ebejer Project in collaboration with ZfinMalta and Spazju Kreattiv. The vibrant adaptation features favourites Antonella Axisa, Thomas Camilleri, Stephen Mintoff and Aaron Fenech as well as dancers Keith Micallef, Martina Zammit, Nicola Micallef, Jure Gostincar and Abel Hernandez from ZfinMalta. A timeless classic and its relevance in today's world Paul Cocks spoke to director TONI ATTARD to find out what makes Francis Ebejer's work still relevant today and why no one should miss this adaptation of Boulevard PHOTO: MARIA GRECH