Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1162794
05.09.19 3 HOLLYWOOD stars Harvey Keitel and Malcolm McDowell are set to star in fea- ture film that will tell the story of Sette Gi- ugno, considered by many to be Malta's first real revolution. McDowell is expected to play the role of Colonel Saville while Keitel will play acting governor Walter Charles Hunter Blair. e Maltese film, 'Storbju' , which will be billed in English as 'Just noise' will start filming next month. Speaking at a press conference announc- ing the film, producer Jean Pierre Magro said that he didn't think it was possible to make a story about Malta, in Maltese, and sell it to an international market. "People used to laugh when I told them I wanted to make stories about the Maltese people. It's just not something we're used to doing," he said, adding that his assumption had now been proved wrong given that the film has been sold internationally. He said that times were changing that the Maltese are no longer going to follow trends. "No, now the Maltese will set the trends. is is not just our story, it's the sto- ry of the whole nation, and something we can all be proud of." English actor Malcolm McDowell, known for his boisterous and often villainous roles, includes the social misanthrope Alex DeL- arge in A Clockwork Orange. American actor Harvey Keitel has starred in films such as Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Mean Streets, Taxi Driver and e Duellists. McDowell will feature in the film as Colo- nel Saville, while Keitel will be governor Charles Hunter Blair. e film's director Davide Ferrario said he was excited to showcase Malta to an inter- national market, not as a set dressing pre- tending to be another location, but as Malta itself. "It's a wonderful place and despite only having been here a month, I have already discovered so many beautiful places I want to showcase to the world," he said. One example was the Manoel eatre, which he said he had included in the script after visiting it. "I was convinced that it needed to be a scene in the movie – it's simply wonderful, and no one would think a place such as this would have existed in Malta in 1919." Ferrario also noted the uniqueness of the Maltese language, which will play a big role in the film. "Hearing Maltese being spoken, like most things in Malta, I've come to re- lease it's a mix of different cultures, but still its own language in its own right. Minister for culture, Owen Bonnici said that he was hopeful that the film would be a stepping stone towards a stronger film industry. "I want people to know our story since 1919 Malta has transformed in a lot of ways into something unrecognizable, but what will always remain is our history and culture." Bonnici said that that the medium of film was selected because it was a powerful tool that could connect with everyone including the young. "I think this film will be a proud moment for the whole nation." Tourism Minister, Konrad Mizzi added that, that Malta was always evolving, and that the government was now focusing on pushing the boundaries in the film industry. The film about the 1919 Maltese uprising will feature Harvey Keitel (left) and A Clockwork Orange star Malcolm McDowell Pulp Fiction star Harvey Keitel set for Sette Giugno movie on Maltese uprising FROM PAGE 1 Business Today is informed that the price of dumping construction waste has risen to €15 per tonne for separated waste and €17 per tonne for mixed waste. Asked whether the rise in cost was justified, however, the MDA president said the issue was secondary to the dire situation created by the scarcity of quarries which are accepting construction waste. Reacting to the increase, the Envi- ronment Ministry said it was nec- essary for the industry to manage construction waste within the con- text of the free market. In the ab- sence of a solution, it said it would step in and take action itself. In February, Chetcuti had said that the industry was worried that, despite there being 32 quarries li- censed to receive construction waste, only a handful were actually doing so. Subsequently, the MDA and the Environment Ministry had reached an agreement for a fixed dumping fee of €8 for every tonne of waste dumped in quarries. e fixed rate was expected to be en- forced for the next year and a half. Seven months down the line, how- ever, the problem has come to the fore again, with Chetcuti telling this newspaper that the issue had in fact persisted for the past two years, with the government having failed to find a solution. is, he said, was creating a mo- nopoly which was leading to the rise in prices. "ere are only two or three quar- ries for disposing of waste right now, and these have a monopoly. ey have every right to demand any price they want," he said. "e issue is much bigger than just the price." "ere have to be several alter- natives for dumping construction material, not just a couple of quar- ries. e situation has now become alarming," he said. Chetcuti warned that the con- struction sector seriously risked suffering a setback if the current situation persisted, and went on to call for the government to take the necessary decisions. "I hope that the Environment Minister starts working on this im- mediately and takes a decision," he said, "It is true that this problem has been long coming and is not of the minister's own doing, but it still needs to be solved." Chetcuti highlighted that, should there be more available quarries, the price of dumping would then adjust itself automatically through the normal market processes. He added that the MDA would continue putting pressure on the government to find a solution, even if this had to be a temporary one for the time being. Ministry will step in Questions sent to Environment Minister Jose Herrera remained unanswered, however the ministry said in a statement that it was aware that a quarry which had been used to dispose construction waste had seized operations. is, it said, had impacted the whole industry and was confirmed by the Environment and Resources Authority during inspections at a number of quarries. It said that in recent months the ministry had held a number of meetings to resolve the problem, which had seen 10 new permits issued for quarries to receive con- struction waste, as well as fiscal incentives by the government for operators to allow the dumping of construction waste at a fixed price. "If the ministry sees that the mat- ter has not been resolved by opera- tors in an appropriate timeframe, it will need to resort to powers it has at law in order to unblock the situa- tion," read the statement. "It is necessary for the construc- tion sector to understand that it must manage this material within the context of the free market. is will ensure that it acts as an incen- tive for this material to start being viewed as a resource rather than waste." Ministry to step in if operators don't resolve issue