Meeting the devil on the streets of Valletta

“Nah, it’s a piece of cake,” Faye Alamango says when asked about the difficulties about assuming the roles of director, producer, writer, and actor in a Malta’s first ever narrated web series.

The new series has launched its pilot episode on Facebook and Youtube, telling the story of a tarot reader who comes face to face with the devil himself.

Gypsy & The Devil is a fictional story mostly set in Valletta, but Faye is no stranger to tarot-reading herself. She is a musician, artist, and chef, but also a tarot reader with nearly two decades of experience behind her.

In fact, the idea for the series emerged from what was meant to be a mini-documentary to promote her services on social media.

“This is when an insane idea came to my head,” she said, “I thought that it might be interesting if the interview suddenly changes into a movie, confusing and surprising the audience.”

Faye said the shift from documentary to fictional mystery movie would keep audiences intrigued, and segregating the film into a mini-series in order to keep viewers guessing would give them a good reason to follow her content.

She embarked upon the project with zero experience, but was lucky enough to find a team that is supportive and prepared to take part in it for free.

But now that the first episode has been launched, Faye says she has become aware of financial issues which might arise as the series goes along. “I wish to do so much more and get super creative, but these things come at a cost,”

“I was lucky to have friends who offered to help out, as they know I am just a little chef who works in a pub in the south of Malta, and not some big shot director with money to splash out,” she said, explaining that she does not have any contacts in the film industry who would help fund the film or offer to sponsor it. “We are all amateurs here, but we love what we do.”

“To me personally, I’m having a fun time testing my new-found creative skills in writing, directing, and acting. I’m proud even though this isn’t some huge blockbuster movie for a person who is just started in this scene.”

Faye said that she thinks she’s done well so far, and hopes that someone from the Malta Arts Council or people in the Maltese film industry will see potential in the series. “With their support, this series could grow. I’m thinking of the Cannes Film Festival Awards!” she exclaimed.

“I have never seen any films in Malta being produced about the mystical world, or a story about a tarot reader or anything of the sort,” she said.

“What I’ve written and done is original and with the help of the right people, this could be something big in the future.” The project is raw and fresh, and plans to introduce locals to the mysticism which they otherwise might never become acquainted with. She tells us that the mystical world on the island is alive and well.

“We have some talented shamans, high priestesses, light workers and healers, who don’t involve religion but believe in the powers of love and the divine that is mother earth and of course, the universe.” Faye would like to slowly introduce such characters in the series, as they were the real inspiration for the story of Gypsy & the Devil.

Faye thinks that tarot reading is considered to be part of witchcraft and devil-worshipping by locals, since their religion classifies it as sin.

“But modern day tarot reading is nothing like that. It’s all based on quantum mechanics and psychology. Malta needs to open its eyes and stop being narrow-minded about things like tarot reading.”

“At the end of the day, you create your own destiny. Tarot cards show you the possibilities, but only you have the power to choose the direction you wish to take in your life.”

Faye would like to challenge the taboo surrounding tarot reading, and she is hopeful. “Tattoos were once frowned upon, and now almost everyone has them. Times have changed, and in this new era, an awakening society needs to wake up.”

The pilot episode of Gypsy & The Devil can be found both on the Fire & Moon Dust Mystical Emporium on Facebook and on Youtube.

The music is composed by Faye Alamango, Paula Irene Gomez De Aranda Jurado and recorded and produced by Norwegian DJ Sunngifu Vani, and the story board designed by Sylvia Pace.

The cast features Christopher Mamo as The Devil, Lella Nadine Munro as the customer getting her reading, and the tarot reader is played by Faye herself. The interviewer is played by Helia Asadbeck.