Plangent Rain

Inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet, set in the old city of Valletta, Malta; this is a short film that explores dark, liquefied decrepitude. A sailor's son is damned to row a rotting boat back and forth across a hemmed harbour. Numbed by ineptitude yet spurred by guilt and expectations, tormented by the enseamed union between overbearing mother and weaselly uncle, the boy spirals down a foredoomed path.

Directed by Kenneth Scicluna, Plangent Rain leans on a strong ensemble — Sean Decelis, Polly March, Philip Mizzi — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2011.