Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/747633
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 6 NOVEMBER 2016 43 This Week Some days ago we had an influx of eagles! Contrary to what many think, eagles don't all live in remote mountains, spending their days soaring majestically around the peaks. Some of them migrate long distances, and that means flying over many different habitats, including sea and, yes, small overpopulated islands. Of the six or so species recorded in Malta, some are very rarely seen while others are spotted annually in very small numbers. Last week's unusually large party included some booted eagles (M: ajkla tal-kalzetti), one of the rarer visitors. These eagles nest mostly in wooded areas in various regions of Europe but come autumn most of them fly to Africa. And that's when we get to see them sometimes. The numbers seen last week were as spectacular as they were unusual. Needless to say, many of our local cowboys killed and maimed several of them. Mustn't let a splendid bird like that pass unscathed, must we! GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 434: FIND OUT MORE: Visit http://www.foei.org/ what-we-do/UN-treaty-on-TNCs to find more information and updates. 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 Text Victor Falzon Photo Raymond Galea 531. BOOTED EAGLE Seeds of hope for treaty on human rights The seeds have been sown for an international agreement that could put human rights before corporate interest. The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) met this week in Geneva to discuss a set of legally-binding rules for transnational corporations in relation to human rights known as "the UN treaty". The UN treaty could protect people from human rights abuses by corporations and bring corporate actors to justice, according to Friends of the Earth, who along with a broad coalition of civil society and European citizens have been calling on the European Union to support a binding treaty and to participate in the discussions in Geneva. The creation of a set of international binding rules will have profound implications for the world's largest companies and their supply chain, obliging them to respect human rights in a way they have never had to before. This Treaty was always meant to be about binding rules to finally rein in the behaviour of transnational companies and their supply chain. The fact that so many countries—led by South Africa and Ecuador—voiced their unequivocal support for legally binding rules, sets exactly the right tone for an ambitious and far- reaching negotiation." More than a hundred activists from 29 countries were present at this session in Geneva. Civil society strength was felt outside in public activities, and inside where strong interventions and proposals on content were made. It is important to continue to resist business' attempts to capture the process and weaken ambitions, including by restricting corporations' participation in negotiations due to conflict of interest. The UN treaty would provide a sharp and much-needed counterpoint to the continued promotion of increasingly controversial free trade and investment agreements, which promote the rights of transnational corporations at the expense of peoples and the environment, and even allow them to sue countries directly in secret courts. The European Union has an unprecedented opportunity to put human rights before corporate rights by continuing in discussions around the UN treaty, and must ensure effective implementation mechanisms—to constrain and control big business, and to deter and punish human rights abuses by the world's largest companies. Italian short film may blossom into full feature in Malta The MADC panto invites you to 'come and fly' this Christmas The Last Step of Forgiveness stars Lando Buzzanca IN late October, the Maltese veteran actor Narcy Calamatta met the Italian film actor Lando Buzzanca ('Divorzio all'italiana') while shooting a promo for a short film in Naples – entitled L'ultimo passo del perdono (The Last Step of Forgiveness). Dur- ing a coffee break they spoke of their common passion for Cara- vaggio paintings. Calamatta, who is known for his specialised lec- ture on our famous masterpiece, Caravaggio's The Beheading of St John, immediately offered Buz- zanca a personal tour of St John's Cathedral in Valletta. Buzzanca will be coming to Malta later this year with the well-known TV journalist, singer and actor Francesca della Valle for the premier of their new film. Valle proposed the idea for the film based on a serious social scourge, the too frequent femi- cide incidents, to her husband, the cultural entrepreneur and film producer Gianfranco Un- ione, who put together the crew and financial structure to film the short – which he hopes will lead to the possibility of a full feature film spinoff. The promo will be doing the international festival circuit including the Venice Film Festival. Shooting on the short film, L'ultimo passo del perdono (The Last Step of Forgiveness) wrapped up in Naples in late Oc- tober. Its premiere will be held in Malta before the end of this year. The producers and the stars will be coming to Malta for the occa- sion and also to start negotiations for the shooting of the full feature version of the story with Maltese collaboration. After the premier, Calamatta will be inviting the press to join him when he will be with Della Valle and Buzzanca discussing the merits of Caravaggio in Ital- ian. From left: Marco Milano, Francesca della Valle, Lando Buzzanca and Narcy Calamatta THE MADC have announced that booking is open for their annual Christmas Pantomime, Un-Believe It! at the MFCC, Ta' Qali. This year will see the return of Alan Montanaro as the Dame and Nanette Brimmer as director. The duo have worked together in many other successful pantomimes such as Peter Panto, The Princess & the Pea and Scrooge, which remains one of the most outstanding pan- tomimes the MADC have ever produced. Montanaro is also the script writer and the title was chosen from a phrase he had coined in Scrooge and which has since be- come a household expression on social media. This pantomime will forever cement it into daily con- versations. Alan's Dame, with her most unusual diction, expressions and mannerisms, is bound to en- tertain in the style which is unique to this actor and which has earned him the well-deserved title of 'Pan- tonaro'. Un-Believe It! promises to live up to the MADC guarantee for entertainment, providing gags and laughs, a large singing and dancing cast, spectacular costumes and set designs and.... a flying car. Performances start on December 22 through to January 8. For fur- ther details and booking visit www. madc.com.mt or send an email to send email to booking@madc.com. mt or sms on 7777 6232