L-Għarusa | Filming of a scene from the last episode of Season 1

If you live in Malta, the exceptional television drama production L-Għarusa needs no introduction; and if you remember, I was invited to join the actors backstage for filming back in June before the series starting airing. Fast forward a few months and (very sadly) we are now at the end of the first season.

It's become somewhat of a Tuesday night ritual for me - have a shower, prepare a cuppa and a little sweet snack and snuggle up in front of the television anxiously waiting for the next episode and what it has in store! And, if like me you haven't missed an episode, you would know that Lucrezia is organizing a masked ball at the Gauci Fontana palace in a bid to liven up the place a little. Well, last Wednesday, I was lucky enough to be invited again to go behind the scenes during filming of this masked ball scene! 

What We Know So Far

The story centres around the Gauci Fontana family and the presumed killing of their only daughter and heir Bettina on her wedding day in 1932 as well as the year before the murder; however, the story also takes us in the present day when Bettina's wedding dress was bought by a museum and exhibited and we have two young employees trying to chase the history behind it, all while a romance is budding between them.

Amid all the characters, there seems to be the love triangle trend 

- Bettina, Bert and Diego

- Amelia, Agostino and Bernard

- and in the present day, Alan, Diane and Liz

The story is set when Maltese nobility still had a strong presence among the society and it was customary for the elite families to arrange marriages for their children, hence, Bettina is engaged to Bert, which we now know that he is not really of noble blood after shocking revelations about his true family origins. This is unknown to the Gauci Fontana's though and thus Arturo still thinks this marriage is what's best for his daughter.

With actor JP Xuereb who plays Bert

There is however a series of circumstances which lead to Bettina meeting Diego, a circus performer and a forbidden relationship soon develops and ends in both of them getting married in secret. All this was possible thanks to Bettina's uncle Dott. Amadeo Gauci Fontana, who shared a close relationship together until Bettina discovers he had tampered with her birth documents in a bid for her to lose her birthright and the Gauci Fontana heritage. What happens next between Bettina and Diego is yet to be discovered!

Someone cleans up well! Actor/model Davide Tucci plays Diego and needs to introduction

In the household, there is also Arturo's sister Emilia and her daughter Amelia who is now the Gauci Fontana heiress by succession following her cousin's untimely death. There are also the servants who come with stories of their own - the budding romance between Liberat & Domenico, Nena and her past and Tonin, his wife Maria Angela and what looks like a broken marriage between them.

But I guess we'll have to wait for Season 2 to start airing before we can get any closure to any of the stories and finally discover who killed Bettina.

About Verdala Palace

Malta is laced with rich, baroque buildings dating back to the period of the Knights of St. John and I must say that the Verdala Palace in the limits of Buskett is most definitely one of the most imposing of them all, and thus very apt to be considered as the filming location for the Gauci Fontana palace. I had only ventured in the gardens once for an event last year but I never had the opportunity to witness the grandeur of the halls inside. My jaw dropped in astonishment as soon as I walked into the first room. There are paintings all around with the most prominent being a full-length painting depicting Grandmaster Hughues Loubenx de Verdalle (the one who built the palace) and another showing Grandmaster Francisco Ximenes de Texada. Much of the other rooms are steeping in priceless works of art and I am truly grateful at having been invited!

In conclusion, I invite you all to tune it to TVM on Tuesday 9th April 2019 to witness the masked ball at the Gauci Fontana palace while we all wait for the story to be unveiled and secrets to be revealed! 

L-Għarusa | Behind the Scenes of a stellar local drama production

Maltese television drama has undergone somewhat of an overhaul ever since the first season of Strada Stretta (Strait Street) was shown on national television in 2016. The series was set in the 1950's when Valletta was still in its heyday and, excellent storyline aside, the well-researched series kept me waiting eagerly for the weekly episodes.

Fast forward to 2018, and Sharp Shoot Media Ltd., the media team behind Strada Stretta have taken on another project, L-Għarusa (The Bride), also penned by the outstanding script-writer, Audrey Brincat Dalli. I'm glad I was given the opportunity to go behind the scenes on set of this production which is set in 1930's Malta when noble families still had a strong presence within the Maltese community.

The first time I attended filming was a couple of weeks ago towards the end of June and before that, there were many more scenes being shot but I couldn't attend primarily due to work. This post is just to give you an idea of how much work goes into such high-quality productions. So, for my first behind-the-scenes attendance, I got to see a circus scene come to life - from hair, makeup and wardrobe preparations to going around the set, I was overwhelmed with all the hard work put in the scene right down to the littlest of details. On seeing the actors get prepped in their dresses and hair being done, I kept saying to myself that I was born five decades too late - I would have gladly attended parties in flapper dresses, feather headdresses, long satin gloves and T-bar shoes!

I got to meet some of the actors and also had a chat with the production team discussing plots, limitations and some technicalities that go on in producing the final product. Makeup was done by Krista Paris and Priscilla Chalker together with her assistants while hair was again left in the capable hands of Soraya. As with all other details, hair and makeup looks for this period drama are faithful to the pinned-up waves and natural looks of the 1930's. For the circus performers, the looks were of course more in-tune with their costumes - extravagant makeup typical of performers from back in the day.

Now let me peak your curiosity a little bit more; here's a summary of the plot around L-Għarusa to get you pumped up until October ;)

The story starts off in 2018 with the purchase of a vintage 1932 wedding dress. The bride who wore it, was tragically murdered on the day of her wedding, just before she walked down the aisle. Liz, a young student working for museum owners Manuel and his son Alan, is intrigued to know if this is in fact just a legend or if there is more to this story. 

In 1931, after a mysterious fire at a circus camp, the aristocratic family of the Gauci Fontana's decide to take in a number of gypsy circus performers who are left homeless. Bettina, their only daughter who is soon to be married, is suddenly exposed to more of the outside world than she ever could have imagined. After the murder, Inspector Fenech Lauri is determined to find whoever is responsible for the young woman’s demise.

I really can't wait for this tele-series to come to life on our televisions this October can you?

I would like to thank Sharp Shoot Media Ltd. for giving me the opportunity to join them behind the scenes. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more exclusive behind the scenes snippets as filming unfolds!