Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1521306
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 MAY 2024 4 ALMANAC My essentials FR ANCESCA MERCIECA 30, set designer, filmmaker & artist My name is Francesca Mercieca, I have been practicing as a creative practitioner for the past 10 years in production design, theater and visual arts. I coexist and lead teams in the film and performing arts industry as a self employed individual and my multimedia background is the skeleton of all the work I create. After graduating with a BA (Hons) in Media and Moving Image in 2013, I started in film through the love for fine art photography and music videos. Starting my first band Fuzzhoneys when I was in college was a high for me as a musician with a mix of local and international artists. By 2020, Francesca started working on film sets, led to her selection as the Production Designer on local feature film Is-Sriep Regghu Saru Velenuzi/The Viper's Pit. Currently I am working on the production design of 'The Great Dictator' 1940 by Charlie Chaplin as we adapt the film to theatre in July 2024. 1. Books 2. Film 3. Internet/TV 4. Music 5. Place DAVID Bowie, Ash- es to Ashes is one of those anthems for me. LIDO in Venice really blew me away in terms of inspiration. These small islands around Italy are pretty mesmerizing. Apparently Wes Anderson, amongst many other direc- tors, probably filmed close to Lido and many other places. After being there in April, I really want to make a film there the sunsets and the huts around the beach are unique. KINETICISM by Z, Pesanek, I'm reading it for the second time as it really struck me in a way that couldn't come at a better time. I always design for light and now I came to a point where the sun and all the physics of optics, refraction, light emitting within and around us is really part of my expression. I'm currently exhibition an installa- tion in Spazzju Kreattiv 'We come to eachother in ways' until the end of June which is my first solo take on the immense inspiration this book has motivated me to create. Reading for me is really an empiri- cal process to continue my research and experimentation to refine my process and technique. THIS is a hard question - I really love science fiction, it's probably my favourite genre - Plus David Bowie is one of my favourite ac- tors "The man who fell to the earth" (1976) is a real gem of a movie. I'll just put my second favourite film "Under the Skin" (2014) by Johnathan Glazer - Third would be Dune (2021)-. On the other hand, Alejandro Jodorowsky's film "Holy Moun- tain" (1973) made me want to do set design in film - so I owe a lot to some special inspiring heroes in my film-making journey, the list is endless. HONESTLY, laughing in the best medicine - and good comedy is always a mix of going over sketches from Terry Gilliam. Monty Python is a proper classic and the timeless power of the 'Black Books' series from Dylan Moran and Graham Linehan never gets old. Compiled by Laura Calleja suggestions by email lcalleja@mediatoday.com This page is supported by Arts Council Malta 4 5 1 2 3