Luzzu had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 29, 2021 in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section.[5][8] The following month, Kino Lorber acquired the US distribution rights to the film, while Peccadillo Pictures acquired the UK distribution rights.[9]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 98% based on reviews from 60 critics, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's consensus reads, "Beautifully filmed and emotionally impactful, Luzzu uses one man's story to capture the struggles of a region at a cultural crossroads."[10] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 based on 16 critical reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[11]
Malcolm Scerri-Ferrante, writing for the Times of Malta, commended the film's story, cinematography, score, and sound design, as well as Scicluna's performance: "Sometimes a filmmaker needs to strike gold and some luck is usually needed. Jesmark Scicluna was Camilleri's strike."[12] He added, "Camilleri managed to create a story that resonates or is easily imaginable. Adding the fisheries industry into the background was a smart move as there are not enough films that reveal the world of traditional fisherman. [...] I find the making of a successful film is about reaching two goals. Does the film tell me something I did not know and does the film touch my heart? Luzzu managed to do both, easily."[12]
The New York Times' Natalia Winkelman praised Camilleri's direction, writing that he "demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of how small moments can build a sense of place: sandals on the salty floor of a fishery; a metal scraper peeling paint from a hull; a priest blessing boats for safe passage. Malta's views are arresting, but the images Camilleri chooses would never be found in a travel brochure. In his subtle, vérité approach, he captures something special — not one man's crisis, but a community's culture."[13] Carlos Aguilar of the Los Angeles Times called the film a "terrific debut", lauding Scicluna's performance, as well as the cinematography and score.[14] He concluded that the film is "made vividly compelling in the hand of a new storyteller with classically honed sensibilities."[14]
