The Ghajnsielem parish church is prominent on the horizon of this shot taken straight from the 1956 film ‘The Battle of the River Plate’, helping one to recognise the Mgarr Harbour that's looking vastly different to how it does nowadays!

‘The Battle of the River Plate’ is a 1956 British war film depicting a battle of the same name that was fought in the South Atlantic on 13 December 1939 as the first naval battle of the Second World War. It was directed by Michael Powell, a British director that many renowned filmmakers such as Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese have cited as an influence.

Valletta’s Grand Harbour also featured in the film, doubling as the Montevideo Harbour. Ships of the Royal Navy’s Mediterranean Fleet, then based at Malta, took part, including two that were in the real Battle of the River Plate.

Have you seen the film ‘The Battle of the River Plate’?