The Azure Window: the end of an icon

The Azure Window was a natural limestone arch that rose majestically out of the blue Mediterranean sea to a height of 28 metres (92 feet). It was located in Dwejra, Gozo.

The arch was created when two limestone caves collapsed on some unrecorded day in history. It was a natural attraction much-loved both by the Maltese and by thousands of tourists who visited it on a daily basis and captured its unique beauty in countless images.

 After a night of storms and gale-force winds, the arch succumbed to the elements and it collapsed into the sea this morning. Nothing is left where the arch once stood, not even the stacks. This iconic feature is gone forever and the Azure Window will not only live on in our memories and our photographs.

Thankfully, in this age of social media, images and videos of the Azure Window are plentiful but it is still sad to think that there will be generations of children who will grow up without seeing it for themselves.

During its lifetime, the Azure Window  was the backdrop for some scenes in movies like Clash of the Titans (1981), The Count of  Monte Cristo (2002) and in the TV series Game of Thrones. In 2016, clothing designer Hugo Boss shot an ad campaign featuring cliff diver David Colturi jumping off of the Azure Window.

Hugo Boss - Superblack suit from Kopterworx on Vimeo.

The photos in this article were taken almost exactly 14 years ago on 5th March 2003.

Related links:

• Malta and the Movies: Clash of the Titians (1981)
• Dwejra and the Azure Window

Malta And The Movies (3): Cutthroat Island (1995)

Cutthroat Island is an action-packed pirate movie that starred Geena Davis, Matthew Modine and Frank Langella and was partially filmed in Malta. It was released in 1995. Although it tanked at the box office it enjoyed modest popularity locally – which is understandable since some of the filming took place here and also because many people were enrolled as extras. Cutthroat Island is a swashbuckling adventure with a female heroine, a motley cast of rogues, a secret island and buried treasure. The plot is not particularly original and the ending is predictable. But is is an entertaining movie to watch if only for the stunts and for catching glimpses of Malta. I have included what I believe to be one of the most memorable scenes.

It was filmed at, what is now, the Birgu Waterfront. Back in the mid-1990s, this part of the harbour was mainly used by fishermen to berth their boats. Did you recognise the two buildings below in the movie clip?

Malta And The Movies (2): Clash Of The Titans (1981 version)

It’s hard to believe that so many years have passed since this movie first came out and that it has now been re-released. Prior to the advent of computer generated animation, a special effects technique known as stop motion animation was used to create the mythological creatures in the movie. Clash Of The Titans is an adaptation of the Greek myth of Perseus and his quest to destroy both the Gorgon, Medusa, and the Kraken sea monster to save princess Andromeda. The storyline in the movie is rather different from the original myth – but then, movies usually are. Laurence Olivier as Zeus, Ursula Andress as Aphrodite, Harry Hamlin as Perseus and Claire Bloom as Hera were amongst the stellar cast.

Although many people are familiar with the original movie and have probably seen it, not many people know that a portion of the movie was filmed on the island of Gozo (one of the three major islands that make up the Maltese archipelago). The scene below, with the Kraken rising out of the sea, was filmed at the Azure Window, one of the most recognisable landmarks in Gozo. The clip is a bit long but you can see the Azure Window at 1:19.

 

Dear Dom

I have written many times about the history of this island and a few times about our culture and traditions. Yet I have failed to talk about the people, historical or otherwise, who have, for better or worse, molded Malta into what it is today. Dominic Mintoff, or Dom Mintoff as he was more popularly known, was one such person. He is a man from our recent history, a former prime minister, a man now in his mid-nineties. Dear Dom is a feature documentary by Pierre Ellul that was released in our cinemas on March 23rd. It highlights the career of a man who both made and destroyed Malta.

That the film has sparked controversy is probably an understatement. The name Dom Mintoff strikes a cord with the majority of the population who is over 35. It is a name that is loved in some quarters (perhaps adulated would be a better word) and loathed in others; a name that sparks heated debates to this very day; a name that will generate a host of emotions except one – indifference. Mintoff is the man who single-handedly created a great political divide in this country. Many of our younger generations say they feel cheated because at school our history books seem to stop at around the time Malta became independent in 1964. They say that all they know about the man  is through hearsay and not founded in historical fact. The truth is that this man left a wound in this island which is still raw, a wound that not many people want to talk about because of all the emotions attached to it. This feature documentary will hopefully give those that want to know more about this man the unbiased information they are looking for. I am one of those that lived through the days when his power was at its most oppressive, when he befriended the likes of Gaddafi and Ceausescu. Hero or villain? Reformer or oppressor?  I have an opinion about the man and I could write more, much more, about his life and times.  But I think that, in this case, it is wiser to let history be the judge.

For those of you that want to learn more about the the making of this feature documentary please go here.

Malta And The Movies (1)– Malta Story

This series of posts is inspired by Suze, writing at  Girl Wizard, who has been sharing some of her favourite movies with us. So I thought, why not a post about movies filmed in Malta? Although small, Malta has a number of interesting locations which have been used as the backdrop for a number of movies. You can go to Wikipedia for a full List of Films Shot In Malta. Every now and then over the next couple of months I will give you a brief overview of the ones which went on to become famous. Today I will start with the earliest movie shot in Malta which was Malta Story released in 1953.

Malta Story (1953) starring Alec Guinnes, Jack Hawkins and Muriel Pavlow is based on life in Malta during WW2, the island and its people and the RAF aviators who defended it with their lives. Although the acting is very much in 1950s style and the ending is quite predictable, this movie does give a good portrayal of what it was like to live in Malta during WW2 when daily air attacks were the order of the day and most of the population spent long hours in  underground shelters that were hewn out of the limestone all over  the island. This film was shot at various locations around the island including: the Lascaris War Rooms, Fort St Elmo, Grand Harbour, Valletta, Ta Qali and the Neolithic temples of Mnajdra.