30/06/2025 - Keith Albert Tedesco’s satirical comedy-drama is an imperfect yet perfectly pleasant tale, able to fulfil its ambitions with a good dose of witty dialogue and charm

l-r: Simone Spiteri, Antonella Axisa, Mikhail Basmadjian and Chris Dingli in Ciao Ciao

Keith Albert Tedesco’s satirical comedy-drama Ciao Ciao offers a distinctive peek into the social fabric of Mediterranean life, blending witty dialogue with sharp observations on personal relationships and social status. The Maltese pic was screened at this year’s Mediterrane Film Festival.

Ciao Ciao begins by exploring a peculiarly Maltese phenomenon: the prolonged, almost ritualistic goodbye. The title itself refers to the act of saying “ciao” not as a neat farewell, but as an opening to a marathon of parting words, lingering conversations and last-minute exchanges that defy the very notion of closure. This habit, which the film presents with affectionate irony, resonates beyond Malta’s shores, echoing cultural traits familiar to Southern Italy and other Mediterranean societies.

The narrative unfolds through three interwoven storylines, each capturing different facets of this cultural idiosyncrasy and its impact on interpersonal dynamics. The primary thread follows two longtime friends, Charlotte (Antonella Axisa) and Jessica (Simone Spiteri), at a dinner party with their husbands. Despite good intentions, the evening quickly derails into tension-fuelled discussions on the proverbial “three forbidden topics” — sex, earnings and family — creating an atmosphere laden with awkwardness and unspoken resentment.

Jessica’s partner, Sam (Chris Dingli), is a freelance photographer and graphic designer who embodies the painfully familiar figure of the introvert stuck in social limbo, desperate to escape the cloying small talk of Victor (Mikhail Basmadjian), a man whose competitive posturing and need to outshine everyone else only add fuel to the fire.

The decision to use black-and-white cinematography is not too shrewd, however; the stark palette feels unconvincing and does little to enhance the film’s contemporary drama, instead introducing a distancing form of abstraction that clashes with the otherwise grounded tone.

In parallel with the dinner-party drama, two other storylines add layers and breadth to the film’s exploration of human connection. A subplot involving two young music lovers – Leonard (Ryan Debattista) and Chloe (Katrina Lupi) – initially risks falling into cliché, but gradually blossoms with unexpected depth. Meanwhile, Michael (Kevin Naudi) struggles on the edge of a nervous breakdown; his encounter with a mysterious woman (Ruth Borg) sparks a night of revelations that balance poignancy and humour.

Overall, the performances across the board are commendable, with the actors striking a good balance between theatricality and naturalism. The dialogue is sharp and well-paced, offering moments of genuine wit that keep the narrative engaging. The three storylines are cleverly interconnected in a way that avoids predictability, even if the closure of the narrative arc feels rushed and could have benefited from tighter writing.

Technically, Ciao Ciao is an admirable achievement, given its shoestring budget of €75,000. The editing is clean and the production design functional and unobtrusive, and the cinematography, aside from its questionable monochrome choice, succeeds in supporting the story without drawing undue attention to itself.

What emerges beneath the local specificity is a broader critique of how social status and cultural expectations shape personal relationships, perceptions and communication. While the film’s social commentary may not break new ground, its keen observation of Mediterranean social rituals offers a fresh lens on the intricacies of human interaction. Although it may initially appear to some as a narrow and local story, its themes and characters ultimately offer universal resonance.

Ciao Ciao was produced by Maltese outfits Lampa Stampa Films and Roughcut Pictures.