RINELLA MOVIE PARK

What was Rinnella Movie Park back then and what it offered? 

There were props from famous movies shot in Malta, exhibitions and theatres showing all the movies filmed on the island, and a train that would take you around the studios when no film was on. There were also live shows, four restaurants, a carousel, a magician, and at the same time, it was a fort, which is an attraction on its own. 

Rinella Movie Park is situated at Fort St Rocco, a polygonal fort located very close to Rinella Battery. The construction of Fort Saint Rocco started around 1872/73 by the British, as part of a program to improve Malta’s fortified defense system.

The park closed its doors in 2000. Different stories and reasons are told since the park failed, from political reasons to bankruptcy. Everything the park offered was great, I just believe is situated in a non-touristic part of Malta, not too easy to reach by public transportation nowadays, so imagine back then, in the 90s. Malta has improved a lot in the last 10/13 years and will improve more, but before then was really wild, old school, and wasn’t a big tourist place like is today; I can easily imagine why the park failed, hopefully, it would see a new life when Smart City will be completed.

Shot with Canon AE1 on Portra 400.