Few people are aware that the Mediterranean region was plagued by piracy for three centuries or that the countries involved went far beyond the lands around the Mediterranean itself. People from throughout Europe worked on corsair ships or were taken into captivity and enslaved far from their homes, often for several decades. Through the exploration of a shipwreck that has been lying untouched on the seabed for 500 years and the survival report of a slave, Pirates and Slaves of the Mediterranean dives into this dark epoch of European history.
The film is based on personal records kept in the 16th century by Balthasar Sturmer, who escaped from captivity in the Orient and whose records have been preserved to this day, while following the contemporary quest of maritime archaeologist Timmy Gambin, Associate Professor of Maritime Archaeology at the Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta.
Pirates and Slaves of the Mediterranean is produced by Markus Pauser through e&a film (Austria) and coproduced by Sebastian Peiter through Urban Canyons (Malta). Peiter is executive producer and also producer for the drama sections in the film.
"Joining up with Vienna based e&a Films on this high-end documentary as coproducer is a great opportunity to demonstrate that there is more than film production going on in Malta. Local crews and talent will help to deliver exciting specialist factual programming for a worldwide audience. Executive Markus Pauser and director Danielle Proskar have followed maritime archaeologist Timmy Gambin’s ground-breaking shipwreck discovery that has the potential to change Mediterranean history", Sebastian Peiter told FNE.
The documentary is supported by ORF - Austrian Public Television, ARTE, the Vienna Film Fund, VAM collecting society for audiovisual media Ltd, the Austrian Television Fund, the Malta Film Commission - Creative Malta and PBS Public Broadcasting Services Malta. The Maritime Archaeology in the Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta is also an essential partner in this project.
The budget is approximately 500,000 EUR.
The filming will take place in Malta and Vienna from 19 September and 13 October 2023. It includes five drama shooting days and eight documentary shooting days.
Pirates and Slaves of the Mediterranean is expected to be completed in 2024.
Production Information:
Producer:
e&a film (Austria)
Coproducer:
Urban Canyons (Malta)
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Credits:
Director: Danielle Proskar
Scriptwriter: Danielle Proskar
Maltese DoP: TBA
Austrian DoP: Harald Staudach
Editor: Markus Wogroll
