Braving the waters

Though Simshar first went into development some six years ago, the central theme of Rebecca Cremona’s true-story, sea-bound thriller remains as relevant as ever.

And at the centre of the most highly anticipated local feature film in recent memory – whose release date, I am told, is “imminent” – one can find a number of familiar faces; actors and performers from the local film and theatre scene who have lent their services to the modestly-budgeted production. Mostly, it seems, because they were struck by the writer-director’s enthusiasm, and enduring passion for the project.

Among them is Chrysander Agius, a fixture of the local entertainment scene and a former member of the now-disbanded Zoo comedy troupe.

Set around the real-life ‘Simshar’ tragedy which occurred in 2008, the film – co-written by Rebecca Cremona and David Grech – takes as its starting point the accident involving the titular fishing boat, which left Simon Bugeja’s 11-year-old son Theo and father Karmenu dead at sea.

A parallel story, also in the Mediterranean, zooms in on the fate of a medic who is ordered to stay on a boat harbouring rescued African migrants, which Malta and Italy refuse access to.

Having been drafted into the Simshar project while it was already underway, Agius doesn’t hold back from enthusing about Cremona’s abilities – both as a filmmaker and the general organising force behind Simshar.

“I know she probably wouldn’t like me saying this,” Agius says with a sheepish smile, “but she is really good. She’s the kind of director that really does bring out the best in you as a performer…”

Known primarily for his comedic roles on both the stage and the (small) screen, Agius was eager to embrace the challenge of his Simshar role. He plays John, an ‘army of Malta’ soldier caught between his duty to the state and his friendship with Simon Bugeja.

Though not directly based on a real-life person, John serves as a composite character who seems to echo the concerns of soldiers who come into regular, direct contact with migrants. Drawing on first-hand research from friends on the force, Agius is “certain” that the film will challenge viewers to consider both sides of the story.

“People who come into the film thinking that it’ll be a ‘straight’ adaptation of the Simshar story might end up being surprised,” Agius says, claiming that there is “a lot more to the story”.

He describes John as being an unflinchingly loyal soldier who, though reluctant to break the law at any point, is placed in an uncomfortable position when he’s made to deal with a situation involving Simon Bugeja – a good friend of his.

“The priority for John, of course, is keeping an eye on the migrant situation. On the other hand, Simon exists in a completely different reality – that of local fishermen, who are preoccupied with ensuring they have a decent catch, which can lead to infighting with other fishermen, and so on.

“But when the Simshar incident occurs, John realises that somebody he knows is caught in the middle of it, which complicates things for him.”

Agius is also eager to point out that John is of a higher rank than the average soldier, which initially places his character at one remove from the migrant experience – a fact that changes as the story goes on, adding another layer to the dramatic fabric of the film.

“Because of this, his feelings towards the migrants are somewhat ‘softer’ when compared to that of his lower-ranking colleagues. But it’s interesting to see, then, how he begins to flinch when he comes into more direct contact with them.”

Agius says that he consulted with friends within the AFM to gain insight into the role, but he also admits that their perspective is inevitably “one-sided”.

“So I felt I had to balance it up. Luckily the script is already quite multi-layered – I felt I had to read it at least twice to really absorb all the different perspectives it takes in. John makes decisions I would never imagine myself making in real life, but that’s part of the job, and part of the character. So I’m really curious to see how audiences in particular will react.”

He speaks about hot, suffocating conditions filming on boats at sea – “I can’t even imagine what it was like for the real-life crew” – but he also speaks of lighter moments of camaraderie… in one particular scene, both migrants and crew members huddle together to watch a football game…

“There are so many different elements to it, you can’t just pin it down to one thing. Upon release, what it’ll certainly evoke is debate. Which is good. It’s what any film worth its salt should do.”

Simshar is supported by the Malta Film Fund. The date of the film’s local premiere will be announced shortly