Strada Stretta | |
---|---|
Genre | TV Drama Romance History |
Created by | Audrey Dalli Brincat |
Directed by | Justin Farrugia Steven Dalli Vanessa Vella |
Country of origin | Malta |
Original language | Maltese |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 48 |
Original release | |
Release | September 28, 2015 |
Strada Stretta was a Maltese television series that aired on Television Malta between 2015 and 2017. The first episode was released on September 28, 2015 [1] and from the start it generated a nostalgic feeling among the Maltese. [2]
As the name implies the setting of the series took place in Strada Stretta, a historic street in Valletta, the capital of Malta. [3] The series takes the viewers to the social and historical realities of 1957, with a plot based on the incidents recorded on a diary that was found in 2015 during refurbishing works on a pub in the eponymous street. [4] The actual setting is based on history books, while the story of this series is based on contextual creativity. [5]
Statistics show that approximately 112,000 Maltese people watched the series, which is approximately a quarter of the entire population of Malta. [6]
Sylvana a young business woman in 2015 is refurbishing an old bar in Strada Stretta (English: Strait Street, Maltese : Triq id-Dejqa), a street in Valletta which was formerly infamous for being the city's red light district. During the renovations, a personal diary that belonged to a woman (Lydia) in 1957, is found. [7] Lydia's diary transports the series' viewers back to 1957 when she takes the decision to leave her gilded cage and controlling mother in search of a better life with her lover, leaving a life of luxury behind her for the freedom she yearns for. [8]
However, when she finds herself stranded and abandoned in Valletta she befriends Lilly, a bubbly young barmaid who works and lives in the street, who hosts her in return of giving her reading and writing lessons. Strait Street is shown in its former glory when prostitution and murder were commonly associated with the street making it infamous with conservative values at the time. We meet many other personalities, real or fictitious who take us back to this cultural and musical mecca. [9] [10] [11] [12]
The series is mainly set in Strada Stretta and Casa Rocca Piccola in Valletta, and other locations in Malta, such as Villa Blye in Paola.
Valletta is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital city, it is a commercial centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. It is also the southernmost capital of Europe, and at just 0.61 square kilometres (0.24 sq mi), it is the European Union's smallest capital city.
L-Għanja tal-Poplu is a popular Maltese song competition first organized by Youth Travel Circle (YTC) on 5 May 1973 at the St. Albert College in Valletta. The founder of YTC is Rev. Maurice Mifsud. Initially the contest had to register as YTC members. From 1987 onward, the contest took a national dimension. The competing songs are sung primarily in Maltese and are written either by the singers themselves or other songwriters. In the 1990s the contest started being transmitted on local television stations. This contest is today organised by the voluntary organisation L-Għanja tal-Poplu and is also supported by Arts Council Malta.
Philip Glassborow is a playwright, lyricist and composer who writes for theatre, radio and television. His best-known theatre musical is The Great Big Radio Show! with book in collaboration with Nick McIvor, which was premiered by the Watermill Theatre in Newbury, showcased at the Bridewell Theatre in London, and had additional exposure via the off-Broadway York Theatre Company ‘Musicals in Mufti’ series (2005), and Malta’s National Theatre, Teatru Manoel (2014).
Abortion in Malta is illegal except in cases where the life of the pregnant woman is at risk. Until 2023, it was illegal without exception. Malta has the most restrictive laws regarding abortion in Europe with the law in Malta held to be influenced by Roman Catholic Christianity, which formed part of the identity of 82% of the population according to the 2021 census.
Joseph "Joe" Grech, is a Maltese singer, who was born in Cospicua, Malta. He is best known for introducing the Maltese language to the Eurovision Song Contest 1971, the first appearance from Malta on this pan-European television event.
Michael Zammit is a Maltese philosopher, specialised in Ancient and Eastern philosophy.
Mużika Mużika is the national song festival of Malta.
The Animae Gospel Choir is a vocal ensemble based in Malta. It was founded in 2008 by Glen Vella and it has since grown into a 23 gospel singer-troupe.
The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016 was the fourteenth edition of the annual Junior Eurovision Song Contest, which took place at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, in Valletta, Malta. This was the second time that Malta have hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, their first being in 2014. Jon Ola Sand was appointed as the Executive Supervisor for the 2016 Junior Eurovision Song Contest, following the dismissal of the former supervisor, Vladislav Yakovlev.
Joe Julian Farrugia is a writer, songwriter and broadcaster from Malta.
The Forni della Signoria was a bakehouse in Valletta, Malta. It was constructed in the late 16th century by the Order of St John, and it consisted of a number of bakeries which produced bread for the inhabitants of Valletta and the surrounding area, as well as for the Order's garrison and navy.
The University of Malta Students' Futsal Team, known as the University Futsal Team for short, is a futsal team that competes in the Maltese Futsal League. The team previously bore the name of its parent club, Mdina Knights F.C. In 2018, the team won its first silverware in the Maltese Futsal Knockout Cup.
Republic Street, historically known as Strada Reale or Kingsway, is a principal street in the capital city of Valletta, Malta. It is about 1 kilometer long and is known for legislative, judiciary and commercial purposes. It is mostly pedestrianised.
Luke Montebello is a Maltese professional footballer currently playing for Maltese Premier League side Ħamrun Spartans, where he plays as a forward.
The 2019 European Parliament election was held in Malta on 25 May 2019. 8 different political parties took part in the election, of which, only 2 won seats in the European Parliament; the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party, with 4 and 2 seats respectively.
Malta–Palestine relations are the diplomatic relations between Malta and Palestine. Malta has traditionally held close and friendly relations with the Palestinian people ever since Malta's attainment of Independence on 21 September 1964. The Foreign Policy of Malta has consistently supported international efforts aimed at a peaceful and negotiated resolution to the conflict aimed at establishing a State of Palestine living side by side by the State of Israel in peace and security.
The 2019–2020 Maltese protests started in Valletta and other urban centres of Malta on 20 November 2019, mainly calling for resignations after alleged political links to the assassination of journalist and blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia surfaced following the arrest of businessman Yorgen Fenech. The protesters also targeted government corruption and the lack of action on money laundering. The protests consisted of demonstrations, marches, sit-ins, and civil disobedience and have been unprecedented in Malta's political history since its independence from the United Kingdom.
Robert Abela is a Maltese lawyer and politician who has served as prime minister of Malta and leader of the Malta Labour Party since 2020. The son of former President George Abela, he was elected to Parliament in 2017. Abela was sworn in as prime minister following the resignation of Joseph Muscat on 13 January 2020.