Searching For Mintoff - Jennie Scicluna

Searching for Mintoff

Project Statement

From a young age, I grew up hearing about this Duminku Mintoff, to an extent that I thought he was a distant relative. I heard so many things about someone I have never met in my life. Throughout my life, I wanted to know Mintoff better, but I could never grasp the relationship my family members had. After years have passed still hearing about Mintoff, I took the opportunity to find more memories to understand better this relationship.

With Searching for Mintoff, I managed to document everything I had access to till now 8 years after his passing. By meeting new people and hearing their stories I created this archival project. This project managed to help me understand that my family was not the only ones with this relationship.

Helping me understand my person of interest much more and making my distorted memories clearer.

My story

Growing up I only remember Mintoff as someone who was invited on TV panels to discuss new government. However, every time he was on TV or someone mentioned him, my nanna shared her stories. She used to be quickly joined by the rest of my relatives around at the time.

So everything I knew about Mintoff is based on my grandmother’s perspective. I remember thinking to myself and trying to understand his importance to them. They spoke about him in such a high manner as if they are trying to make me remember what he means to them. But I never lived during that time, so my mindset was that they were exaggerating their love and praise. However, as the years go by and Mintoff passes away, I experienced firsthand that he was not only important to my family but a lot more people. I remember very clearly being squashed to the barricade with my grandmother right beside me. The number of people crying for this person was overwhelming. However, I understood that everyone present on that day was mourning a loved one. Carry on eight years later and the mentioning never stopped. At my house, we had so many things especially books of Mintoff, yet I knew nothing. However now with this project, I have started to understand better the beloved Duminku Mintoff.

I was given this image to keep with me after Mintoff died by my grandmother. She told me it was important to have something to remember him by.

Rebecca’s Story

During the time Mintoff was both the leader and the Prime Minister I formed a part of the female group of the party. However, the memory I showed you was for a book signing. I remember it even after all this time. This was at a book signing in our hometown, we were not planning on going but we still decided to do it, but we heard about it on the same day. My family was always behind Mintoff, from meetings to even sometime watching his daily commute so since it was close by we decided to go as well. If you can see we were laughing as he joked about something along the lines of if we ever miss out. He was someone who helped so many people so the least we could do is show our support. His work is still being used and praised until this very day. He treated everyone equally and when he saw injustice he tried to fix it, not for his sake but the individual in need.

Jien, fejn tidhol Malta m’ghandix hbieb. Il-hbieb ta’ Malta huma l hbieb tieghi

I have no friendships where Malta is involved. However any friend of Malta is a friend of mine.

Simon’s Story

I was young when Mintoff was a Prime Minister, however, we were lucky to know him personally. Even though I knew him all my life my favourite memory was in that picture I have with him. I think I can say without lying that I think this was his last outing before he passed away. We went to see the Good Friday procession. He wanted to go so I and another family friend decided to take him.

Little did we know that after that his health started to worsen. So I keep it so close to heart and will remember him forever, I will never stop sharing him and his stories. I taught my kids all about him as he deserves all the praise. He helped us personally so much but we also got so much from him as a nation. No one will be like Mintoff.

Mario’s Story

I grew up in a time where Mintoff was still the Prime Minister and still holding meetings. Most of the time I used to go with my father to every place Mintoff went and listen to his words. We usually went to the meetings that happened on the south side of Malta like Marsa. The memory that I hold dear from all this time was how quite everyone went when he started speaking. Imagine thousands of followers listening quietly to want he had to say. To be fair people did not dare to speak during his speeches as they would get scolded, so people did not even dare. My father was very into the party, so he knew Mintoff better than most of his followers, so once we even went to the place he had in Dellimara.

Maryanne’s Story

I was already near my 20’s when Mintoff became Prime Minister so I do have a lot of memories of him. However, the most prominent one was when he became Prime Minister and come off the balcony after he was sworn in. I remember him going to the President’s Palace I and my family were at the front. It was a moment of pure joy as when it showed that everything we worked for all come true.

This memory brings back a million more with other people not necessary with Mintoff as I did not work directly with him but rather with the party. But Mintoff was a staple of our time and even people who were against him were affected by his work.

Maria pia’s Story

During the time Mintoff was both the leader and the Prime Minister I formed a part of the female group of the party. However, the memory I showed you was for a book signing. I remember it even after all this time. This was at a book signing in our hometown, we were not planning on going but we still decided to do it, but we heard about it on the same day. My family was always behind Mintoff, from meetings to even sometime watching his daily commute so since it was close by we decided to go as well. If you can see we were laughing as he joked about something along the lines of if we ever miss out. He was someone who helped so many people so the least we could do is show our support. His work is still being used and praised until this very day. He treated everyone equally and when he saw injustice he tried to fix it, not for his sake but the individual in need.

This wallet was something that Maria Pia has kept of her late husband.

She jokingly said that In his wallet he rarely had money but he made sure to always have Jesus’ sacred heart and Mintoff.

..

“Meta nispicca u nkun miet anki ruhi tibqa’ tahdem f’Malta”

Once I finish and I die my soul will still be working for Malta

This plaque commemorates the opening of the Maltese National Stadium.

Even though Mintoff was the one inaugurating this event, his name was still mentioned as the Prime Minister at the time. This piece has been up since December 1980.

This plaque commemorates the time Mintoff was in office. I later found out that this was one of the few party’s clubs that were open during Mintoff’s reign. The writing translates to Dom Mintoff, Quarter of a

Century Leader.

This plaque is placed right outside the house that he lived in Tarxien.

It was commemorated on his birthday a year after his passing.

The statue in stone is Mintoff with important symbols that are linked to him holding the Maltese Flag.

This is one of the two monuments we have of Mintoff. The first one was located in Bormla, Mintoff’s hometown.

As for the second one, it is placed in front of Castile. It was place

ed to look at the place where the Office of the Prime Minister is.

Malta taghna l-Ewwel u Qabel kollox

Malta First and before anything else.