Five years in the making, the film offers the most detailed cinematic portrait to date of Caravaggio, tracing his life through the paintings that defined him. Rather than leaning into legend, it builds its narrative carefully, using expert insight, historical context, and close readings of his work to show how his art and personal life were tightly intertwined.

Malta plays a significant role in Caravaggio’s story. During his time on the island, he produced some of his most important work, including The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, which still hangs in St John’s Co-Cathedral. It remains the only painting he ever signed, a detail that speaks volumes given how rarely he left his name behind. The film places this period in context, exploring how his time in Malta reflected both his ambition and the instability that followed him throughout his life.

Visually, the film moves through Caravaggio’s masterpieces with restraint, allowing the paintings to speak without overstatement. His use of light and shadow, his refusal to idealise his subjects, and the recurring hints of self-portraiture are examined as deliberate choices rather than stylistic quirks. The result is a portrait of an artist who was both technically radical and personally conflicted.

This is not a glossy or sensationalist film. It does not try to solve every mystery, nor does it turn Caravaggio into a neat character study. Instead, it lays out what is known, what is suggested, and what remains unresolved, trusting the audience to sit with the complexity.

The screening takes place on Thursday 15th January 2026 at 7:30pm at Spazju Kreattiv Cinema in Valletta. Tickets are €12, with a €10 concession. With no further dates planned, this is the last opportunity to see the film on the big screen, in a city that still carries Caravaggio’s mark.

More information can be found here!