Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/791658
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 FEBRUARY 2017 39 This Week THE 15th of August. The Day of the 'Santa Marija' Convoy. The people were descending a lot later than usual. It was almost as if lethargy overtook them, or perhaps they simply felt a lot calmer than usual on that day. Those that de- scended upon the shore all carried stories with them; colourful happenings from various countries. Each of them with their own lifestyles, and each of them with their own memories; their happiness and their grief. But the sea is indifferent to our plight. With its long fingers it will embrace an- yone who plunges into it… and paint their destiny on the sands of the shore. The latest in Melitensia from BDL Books Malta's historical bikini panic at the forefront of new documentary Valletta 2018: a driver for culture, business and tourism A taste of some of the latest releases from the BDL stable The Ghosts of Malta by Joseph Attard L-Iljieli Gharbin THIS collection of folk tales from Persia, Arabia and India – the leg- endary 1001 Nights – now arrives in a Maltese-language translation courtesy of BDL Books. The most important among these tales would likely have been a product of the Persian Empire, having been col- lected for the very first time in a single volume in Persian, going by the title Hazar Afsanah ('One Thousand Folk Tales'). Come 850 AD, we find them collected in Arabic under the title of 'Alf Layla' ('One Thousand Nights'). The original language in which they were written was Persian, but they were quickly translated into Arabic – which explains why they are most commonly referred to as 'The Arabian Nights', also because some key stories from the collection – which encompasses both oral and written sources – are set in Baghdad, dur- ing the rule of Caliphh Abbasida Harun Al-Raschid. The documentary-film Burning Bikinis, produced by aditus foundation in co- production with Suwaylab, takes inspiration from a Maltese urban legend in which bikinis were bought in bulk and burnt in a public square in Malta in the 1960s. Directed by Alessandro Tesei and Emanuel Tut- Farah, with research by An- tonella Sgobbo and Carla Camilleri, the film will be screened at Spazju Kreattiv at St James Cavalier, Valletta on March 3 at 15:00, and will be fol- lowed by a panel discussion. In the same period, several women were arrested and taken to Court for wearing bikini, concurrently Archbishop Mikiel Gonzi requested the then Prime Minister Borg Olivier to institute a special branch of the police force with the "exclusive function to safeguard public morality". The film centres on the collec- tive memories of women's move- ments in Malta from the 1960s up until present day. An almost total absence of public, academic and journalistic records attesting to Maltese female lobbies or or- ganisations led to the research- ers interviewing women active in those days and tracing those incidents, events and places that were so important to their strug- gles. As all that we have are their voices and their testimony as the living record of those events. The documentary-film is funded by the Arts Council Malta, Creative Communities, together with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and the U.S Embassy. A panel discussion will follow the screening, with the partici- pation of MEPs, academics and activists, discussing the history of feminism in Malta from the 1960s, and the road ahead. Light refreshments will also be avail- able. VALLETTA 2018 European Capi- tal of Culture is driving improve- ments in the organisation of cul- tural events in the capital city, the development of its urban fabric as well as business, tourism and the city's international visibility, re- search shows. The findings, from a series of quantitative and qualitative re- search studies carried out by the Valletta 2018 Foundation as part of its ongoing Evaluation and Monitoring process, were pre- sented last Thursday during the second 'Culture Matters' seminar held at the University of Malta – Valletta Campus. This Evaluation and Monitoring research process investigates the impacts of Valletta 2018 by focus- ing on a variety of factors, includ- ing cultural participation, tourism, social and community life, and the development of the economy and creative industries. The seminar was opened by Valletta 2018 Executive Director Karsten Xuereb, who highlighted: "Valletta 2018 is a process which aims to set in motion a series of actions that bring change, are sustainable and establish a legacy. Current research shows that while there is a long way to go, we're on the right track." Addressing the seminar, Min- ister for Culture Owen Bonnici said that seeing the results of this research shows that our work in promoting culture and the arts among all members of our society and spreading awareness of their importance at all levels is bearing fruit. "Culture should not be treated as an isolated sphere but rather as a sector that intertwines with all other fundamental pillars of Maltese society. It is deep-seated into our business sector leading to growth and the creation of em- ployment and an elementary part of our tourism industry, support- ing one of the largest sectors our economy is based on," Bonnici said. Bonnici added that for the gov- ernment and all involved, the Eu- ropean Capital of Culture is not simply a prestigious title bestowed onto our capital city but rather a long-term project which over the past years has led to many capital investments and a renewed fer- vour in the arts as well as high- tened awareness of our unique culture and history. The Valletta 2018 project aims to leave a last- ing legacy for the benefit of all resi- dents beyond Valletta itself reach- ing local communities and artists. Research shows that 86% of re- spondents to the Valletta Partici- pation Survey believe that Valletta is changing for the better, with most respondents agreeing very strongly that Valletta is a city rich in culture. On the tourism front, 28% of tourists, up 5% from the previous year, knew about Valletta 2018 be- fore visiting Malta, while 58% who were initially not aware of Valletta 2018, were made aware during their stay. Almost 90% of tourists are likely to recommend Valletta to friends and family. When it comes to the economy, Culture and Creative Industries (CCIs) accounted for 7% of the to- tal Gross Value Added created by the Maltese economy, and higher than the construction and civil en- gineering sector (4%) and accom- modation and food services sector (5%). CCIs continued to grow at an average rate of 9% per year over the period of 2010 to 2015, and they account for 6% of total full- and part-time employment, result- ing in the creation 2,800 new jobs between 2010 and 2015. The Steering Committee of the Evaluation and Monitoring process is made up of a number of public entities including the National Statistics Office, Malta Tourism Authority, the Economic Policy Department, together with Arts Council Malta and Jobsplus, together with various independent researchers and academics, each of which is carrying out research in their respective area of expertise. Burning Bikinis screening at St James Cavalier on March 3 Karsten Xuereb. Photo by Elisa von Brockdorff