Hot Salvation

Los Angeles composer and musician Jon Natchez, recognised for his contributions to The War On Drugs, Beirut, David Byrne, and St. Vincent, crafts a mesmerising score for the award-winning Maltese independent film "Luzzu" under Phantom Limb's Geist im Kino soundtrack imprint.

Alex Camilleri, the Maltese screenwriter and director, receives acclaim for his film "Luzzu," which boasts a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Carlos Aguilar of the Los Angeles Times notes that the film is "all submerged" in Jon Natchez's captivating score. Natchez, utilizing strings, flutes, clarinets, brass, synthesizers, and the masterful harp of acclaimed artist Mary Lattimore, celebrates, reflects, and intricately binds together the gritty, affectionate agony portrayed in Camilleri's remarkable directorial debut.

"Luzzu" narrates the challenges faced by a young fisherman battling the relentless Maltese sun, the diminishing returns of the sea, his new-born son's illness, judgmental family dynamics, and the gradual demise of a tradition passed down through generations. As financial concerns tighten their grip, Jesmark, magnificently portrayed by undiscovered nonprofessional actor Jesmark Scicluna, finds himself entangled between morality and tradition, survival and responsibility. Camilleri's screenwriting is both challenging and potent, vividly bringing to life the vibrancy and colour of rural Malta.

Jon Natchez's soundtrack expertly weaves together these complex themes. Whispered woodwind chords illuminate dusty trails of synthesis, while propulsive percussive layers engage in a conversation with the heady clamour of the Mediterranean. Mary Lattimore's harp emerges from clouds of sun washed strings, creating a sonic landscape that mirrors the film's emotional depth. In a particularly stirring scene where the local priest silently blesses the multitude of tiny solo fishing vessels (the luzzu of the movie's title) heading out for the day's catch, Natchez enhances the intensity and tenderness with gently flowering Baroquish melodies.

“Stirringly nuanced and dazzlingly humanistic…an unaffected triumph with a simmering power” Los Angeles Times

“A new benchmark in Malta’s little-heralded film industry.” Variety