A detective chasing monsters no one believes exist — including his own sanity.
The Maltese islands are tiny yet surprisingly rich in mythical creatures. Civilisations who occupied the Maltese islands weaved these beings in their stories and religious beliefs. Creatures such as the Belliegha (the well-serpent), the Gawgaw (man-beast), demons like the Jinn and the Afrit are among the array of monsters that populate our culture. Many of these have been relegated to fantasy, but, if one is attentive, they can be found in the stories narrated by our elderly, who vividly describe them in their generations-old stories. Mostri follows the story of Frans, a police detective who believes monsters are real and behind many horrific crimes. He has to prove their existence to the force and the police psychiatrist or otherwise he risks ending up off the force and into the asylum.
Acting
Baldacchino's unraveling conviction carries every scene.
Production
Maltese folklore brought to visceral, authentic life.
Writing
Blurs detective thriller with genuine mythic horror.
Director
Lawrence Sultana
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Belliegha and Gawgaw are genuine figures in Maltese folklore, rarely depicted on screen before this.
Director Sultana filmed in villages where elders still recount these creatures, blending documentary testimony with fiction.
MT
