Paris / Chypre

The Garbage Sound Civilization II by Katerina
Attalidou and Stephanos Karambambas
offers, in the lightness of its
structure, a dreamland out of context.
The visitor finds himself in front of the door
of a closet or a house. The structure made
of a plastic bag fills with air, creating a sensorial
space completely different from the
external world, which consequently reflects
the contrasts of the experience. For the spectator
this is an initiatory and entertaining
journey, during which he feels mostly
lost.
Nicos Charalambides has built for Paris
Ledras Barricade, recalling the recent history
of Cyprus as well as its political and
geographical division. After forty-eight years
of blocking Ledra Street, this barricade has
just been destroyed, rekindling hope for
contact between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
On the structure, a video replays images
presented in the news during the historic
demolition of the barricade, which has now
been transformed by the artist into an alternative
space. This structure refers to all the
attempts undertaken by the artist since the
1980s; baptized Social Gym, they introduce
the concept of a museum perceived – in the
ancient Greek sense of the term – as a lab-
40
Paris / Chypre
Androula Michael and Fabrice Flahutez
During the official week dedicated to Cyprus, in the framework of the European
cultural season, Cypriot artists were given a unique opportunity to show
their work in the heart of Paris.
oratory of ideas, a place of meeting, like the
"agora". In Charalambides’ structure we
can also see his concept of a Rumbling Museum,
a mobile and nomadic installation virtually
planted in politically charged places,
like the Gaza Strip, the occupied airport
of Nicosia or Ireland, in order to function
as a platform of contemplation and interaction
between individuals. Involved in a
dialogue with architecture and famous buildings,
he reevaluates our ties to the social
environment.
Melita Couta proposes an installation in
the form of a kiosk. It will have several openings
at the sides, in order to enable the
visitors to have a look at its interior. The
kiosk reveals to the public numerous copies
of Aphrodite’s statue and other objects. It
will also function as a theatre, since an actor
will be performing inside it. This work is
based on the exchange with the people and
creates a link between the interior and the
exterior environment. Aphrodite’s small statues,
which are placed in the interior side of
the structure, have a very important role to
play when it comes to attracting tourists.
These statues are meant to lure people closer
to the artist, enabling him to communicate
with the public.

Melita Kouta, Installation, detail
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Yioula Hadjigeorgiou, “Aphrodite's Bath”, 2008
Katerina Attalides & Stephanos Karabambas, “The Garbage Sound Civilization II”, 2007

Yioula Hadjigeorgiou very often uses women
and water as a regular theme in her work.
In her play Knife in Water she expresses the
prevalence of duality and the never-ending
fracture. Everything in this world is destined
to be terminated, but still it is always in search
of completion. This prolongation in mythology
is doubtful, whenever there is a thought
implying that the world is divided into two
parts. Knife in Water functions like a figure
of speech, referring to interruptions and divisions.
Passion and heartbreaks, the desire
to follow tradition or to break free from it
are moments full of ambiguity, when you
have to put an end to something. Water is
an essential element, which brings people
together since this liquid remains entire even
when it is split or when it comes apart; it
reflects an image of something complete and
entire. The myth referring to Narcissus expresses
this human urge for preserving continuity.
At the same time, the hero pays the price
of his own destruction. It’s about separating
art from its social aspect. In the video
called Aphrodite’s Baths, a drop falls every
10 seconds on salt, leading slowly but surely
to its extinction. This is something that
should be explained in its metaphorical sense,
for it expresses a rather complex reality. Does
a loss of a face imply the death of a human
being? This is the question given by the artist.
In the process of the extinction of a body,
where lies the profound meaning of the poet,
Yioula Hadjigeorgiou, emerges a shapeless
and meaningless trace of a past existence. She
actually wonders about the relation existing
between life and death. The only act of
resistance in this process of extinction is
the creation of a masterpiece, for even body
and spirit are condemned to vanish. The ques-
tion of eternity emerges here once again.
Phanos Kyriacou exhibits caps with the following
slogan written on them: I LOVE
CYPRUS AND CYPRUS LOVES ME. In fact,
the caps will be sold for a symbolic amount
of money (ten cents each). This attempt aims
at initiating dialogue and exchange with visitors
and potential buyers. The ultimate goal
is to establish contact with the "tourists" who
tend to buy stereotyped souvenirs from every
country they visit. There will be about a thousand
caps with various fluorescent colours.
In this way, the souvenirs will be turned into
parasite elements of a Parisian culture, making
us wonder about the cultural and geographical
boundaries in this era of globalisation.
Lia Lapithi explains in her video called Recipe
for Marinated Crushed Olives how to prepare
this homemade recipe. In fact, the olives
are crushed and are then left to marinate in
lemon and salt. The olives are being crushed
on a bed of newspapers and magazines. There
is a dialogue between this traditional recipe
and the pictures of the newspapers placed
underneath some jars; a dialogue of deaf people,
blending History with political and social
problems of today. The second video chosen
here is entitled It’s Spring-time and I Still Live
in Cyprus. It shows Ledra Street, used in
figurative sense to describe the recent events
on the island. In this work we notice an entertaining
tone, a pleasant way of dealing with
events, exactly like Cypriots do in real life.
The third video selected here, Grade IV, shows
a child writing frantically on some sheets of
white paper during a long film sequence.
When the camera approaches the child’s shoulder,
we notice that the child keeps copying
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Phanos Kyriakou, “Parasitic Souvenir”, 2008
Anber Onar & Emin Cizenel, “Argilla Animate Cypria”, 2008

the same sentence, "I will love my Neighbour",
hundreds of times, as if it has been
punished. In the context of social criticism
against an education system that forgets how
fragile liberty and understanding really are,
Lia Lapithi invokes childhood innocence
as an allegory of our societies.
Panayiotis Michael chooses an urban space
to place some sign boards which have certain
characteristics: the observer is supposed
to get lost since these signs cannot be used
in an instructive way. Remember Me constitutes
a possible way, but is in fact a secondary
one, or an indirect way to memory
containing certitudes instead of a precise path
to follow, which constitutes an aim in
itself. The signs are there to express the liberty
of meeting by chance someone’s past.
The artist exhibits a series of drawings in a
steady line. The theme functions like infinite
excrescences allowing to the drawing
Paris / Chypre
to open up itself beyond the expected framework.
After having created some sculptures of
various shapes, Anber Onar and Emin Cizenel
will classify them and give them a name showing
a scientific appearance, establishing
this way their genealogical provenance. When
this preparatory work comes to an end, they
will then accomplish a book of artists, where
nature will be invented again; this series entitled
Argilla Animate Cypria lies between reality
and imagination. It describes the possibility
of living in a world where there are
no habits, just poetry. The spectator may take
the book with him after filling in a paper.
The video of Christodoulos Panayiotou,
Slow Dance Marathon, is the living proof of
a performance he had already tested in Thessalonica
and in Tel Aviv. This performance
invites the public to contribute by participating
in a slow dance marathon. This work
The Ministry of Education and Culture in Cyprus responded to the invitation of the French
Ministry of Culture and Communication to participate in an innovative project marking the
French Presidency at the European Union. The event called “A European Cultural Season”
brings together the cultural and expressive diversity of the European Union member states.
In this regard, the Cultural Services secured an intense presence of Cyprus starting with the
Cyprus Week (28 July-3 August 2008) and continuing with other events organised in cooperation
with the Embassy of Cyprus in Paris and with the participation of established Cypriot
artists.
Another event is the “Tandem” programme, conceived by the French Ministry, which seeks to
put together activities in tandem with each member state. In line with this programme, two
concerts, one in France and one in Cyprus with the music of the Cypriot composer, Kavallaris
were held, with the participation of Cypriot and French musicians. The events are spread over
the six-month term of the French Presidency, until December 2008.
45

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Panayiotis Michael, “Remember Me”, 2005-2008

is quite interesting for various reasons:
first, it is about the meeting of the Other.
Anonymous people can establish a contact
despite their characteristics which might constitute
a risk for them. This precise risk
taken by the dancer allows him to reinvent
the essence in his art, which is the expression
of emancipation for him. Verbal expression
does not seem to be a decisive factor
of choice anymore. There are a number of
parameters interfering, such as body language
or music, which encourage people to go on
with this experiment. Slow Dance Marathon
becomes a space of relations, creating an
impossible setting, but at the same time a
poetic of two human beings in an artistic
experiment.
Andreas Savva, “Digestive Tract”, 2000
Andreas Savva is dealing with the notion of
space the same way a writer uses sheets of
paper. He writes in this network of strings
the stories and the state of migrants or refugees.
He entraps everyday objects, transforming
them into "objects of sculpture" and disengaging
them from their original function. While
Andreas Savva is going under this process of
giving a new identity to his objects, he also
examines the relation existing between a specific
object and the way we perceive our life.
He refers to his own life as a refugee; objects
of daily life are trapped in this network of strings
just like the existence of some characters in the
story. We have a three-dimensional expression
of time, carrying souvenirs, but also objects
and people. This network of strings shows the
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Socrates Socratous, “Naja Haja“, 2008
TWO / FOUR / TWO, “Reaction“, 2002

confusion and the complexity in the relations
we have with material things that seem
to us as perpetual but in reality they are transitory
and temporary. The only thing remaining
is the material, which constitutes our memory
and our past.
Socrates Socratous uses a palm tree in his
work, some photographs of houses, a video
showing a cobra and its charmer, all of which
represent a legend within reality. He has been
inspired by a rumour according to which poisonous
snakes have been mistakenly imported
to Cyprus through some palm trees. In
fact, this is a story regarding involuntary
exchange. People’s boundaries seem to come
out of their own imagination and these boundaries
cannot resist dangerous cobras like
the ones brought on the island on exotic palm
trees destined to decorate luxurious villas.
Yiannis Toumazis notices an identity card
at the war museum of Istanbul, which was
lost and forgotten there. When he reads
the name on this identity card he decides
to publish an article in a Cypriot newspaper,
addressing a letter to an unknown person,
just like a bottle in the sea, aiming at giving
life to a past. However, this letter will arrive
at its destination. This man lives in France
and has been working in the country for quite
some time now. Yiannis Toumazi’s work is
the poetry through time which goes beyond
boundaries and distance.
The work Reaction by TWO/FOUR/TWO
(Costas Mantzalos and Constantinos Kounnis)
features two videos on a monitor facing
a mirror. From the glass front of the installation,
viewers can watch both videos simultaneously
through the mirror. The work investigates
the limits of interaction between the
image and the viewer by capturing the latter’s
expression. A new perspective of "Self"
emerges from the deconstruction and manipulation
of the body. During this interactive
process, a three-way dialogue takes place
between reality (the viewer), simulation (the
reflection in the mirror) and the moving
image (the video monitors). The work forces
the viewer to become aware of his own presence
in a visual field that is outside of him.
Bearing always in mind Cyprus’ political situation,
all modern artists promote the social
and political reality of the island from a
distance, bringing in criticism and even
humour or irony, escaping in this way from
a literal speech.
Periklis Timotheou, “Summer in Cyprus“
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Awards for Cypriot Film Directors
Local film Director, Yiannis Economides was
honoured with a top accolade by the Greek
Ministry of Education and Culture last July.
Economides’ 2007 film "Soul Kicking" (Psichi
Sto Stoma), financed by the Cyprus Ministry
of Education and Culture received the award
for Best Film in 2007. The Greek Ministry
of Education and Culture announced that
the Panhellenic Cinema Critics Union (PEKK)
had voted for this release, along with Four
Months, Three Weeks and Two Days by Cristian
Mungiu in the foreign film section, as
the best films of 2007.
The annual review of PEKK Cinema 2007,
considers the film worthy because of its genial
power of deduction, a feature rarely attained
in the Greek cinema.
"The deduction is not only in the image –
with action very often viewed outside steady
gros plans – but also in the speech itself. This
sounds somewhat absurd given that swearing
is heard falling like downpour, even overlapping
at times.
"Yet, this is automatically deductive as the
speech is on its own surreal. A very precise
choice made by Economides who refuses the
dramatic ease of explaining per person, but
makes others speak in the same intensity, as
a symbol of the protagonist’s oppressive environment."
Most reviews are highly appreciative. They
extol: "such courageous interpretations which
overcome the theatrical pomposity with
remarkable intensity" or commend the "harsh
but true image of a section of the popular
class as seen through the story of a pitiful,
oppressed worker".

All in all the reviews consider it "the most
astonishing and original film of recent years"
and also "a source of great surprise and joy,
as it reveals that the Greek cinema is still
alive."
Cypriot film director, Kyros Papavassiliou
was awarded the Prix d’Innovation for his
short film "Sparrow’s Name" (To onoma tou
spourgitiou). Selected among 3,000 films to
represent Cyprus at last year’s International
Competition at the Cannes Film Festival, the
film was awarded the prize at the Tetouan
International Mediterranean Film Festival in
Morocco.
Kyros Papavassiliou was born in Nicosia in
1972. He studied Philosophy and Music in
the USA.
The film deals with the absence of real identity
in modern society and the inability to
name things, in relation to substance. It is a
unique mixture of abstract concepts and
rational arguments reflected in a poetic image
and in the abstract rhythm of the film.
The plot is centered on a young man who
somehow loses his name and goes to a specialist,
a "nameologist", to get a new one.
The First Prize for the documentary film at
the 31st Drama Film Festival was awarded
to the film “Transgression” produced by Cypriot
directors Bambos Kouzalis and Costas
Karayiannis. The documentary, subsidized
by the Cultural Services of the Ministry of
Education and Culture, relates the true story
of Stelios Pisis, a young composer nailed
to his bed.
Within the framework of the same Festival,
Constantinos Yiallourides' short film “Instructions
for Use” was awarded three prizes: the
Greek Film Centre Prize, the New Talent
FNAC First Prize and the Panhellenic Union
of Film Critics (PEKK) Prize for his original
and youthful approach.
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Cyprus has participated in the European
Heritage Days since 1995.
Established by the Council of Europe
in 1991, this institution’s main goal is
to enable the wider public to become
acquainted with and appreciate the
architectural and cultural heritage
of their countries.
What is really special about this
occasion is that historic and traditional
sites, especially those that are otherwise
inaccessible, are opened to the public.
Furthermore, a significant number
of other related events like exhibitions,
lectures, music and cultural
events are organised, aiming at making
the public familiar with the traditions
of each area.
In Cyprus, the European Heritage Days
(EHD) is an event organised by the
Department of Town Planning and
Housing (Ministry of Interior) in cooperation
with the Cyprus National
EHD Committee and various public
and private organisations active in the
field of heritage.
The Theme
This year’s theme presented the architectural
heritage situated along the buffer zone
that divides the city of Nicosia. The cultural
richness of the area, so close and yet
so inaccessible, was presented for the first
time through walking tours and exhibitions.
European

Heritage Days
The buffer zone area within the walled city
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The aim was to explore the ways in which
common heritage unites people from different
communities and builds communication
bridges between them. At the same
time, the relationship between architectural
creation and the human element is highlighted
as this is indispensible for the
existence and preservation of the built environment.
The Buffer Zone
For 34 years, the island of Cyprus has been
divided and nowhere has this been more
obvious than within the capital city of
Nicosia. The UN controlled buffer zone
cuts through the historic walled city leaving
a huge part of it totally unprotected
from the elements of time. The effects have
been devastating.
Within the walled city, the buffer zone runs
approximately 1.5 km in length and passes
through several neighbourhoods such as
Paphos Gate (Porta Domenico), Karamanzade,
Ayios Andreas, Nebet Khane,
Phaneromeni, Selimiye (Ayia Sophia),
Omeriye, Chrysaliniotissa and Ayios Kassianos.
The buildings in the buffer zone
stand on approximately 10% of the total
area of the walled city. In this highly restricted
area within the city walls, beautiful
medieval churches, elegant neoclassical
buildings, traditional houses, schools, shops
and workshops are falling apart due to neglect.
This was the part of the city that had
been the focal point of activity, social life
and trade. Since 1974, this historic area has
been subjected to an accelerating deterioration
process.
History
During the medieval period (12th to the 15th century), Pedieos River ran through the
ancient walled city in an east-west axis, via
an old course that is now used as the
city’s underground rainwater drainage and
bridges connected the two parts of the city.
The famous medieval market extended
along the river and was the vibrant hub
of commercial transactions between Europe
and the Near East. Luxury textiles, such as
silk, linen, the "drap d’or de Chypre", as
well as other precious items such as silver
and gold were among the items produced,
crafted and exported.
During the Venetian period (15 th to 16 th
century), the old medieval fortified walls
were replaced with newer, stronger walls
and the course of the river was diverted

to a new bed outside the walled city. These
walls and their eleven heart-shaped bastions
have survived to this day. The busy market
area traversing the centre of the walled city
also survived.
Throughout the Ottoman period and the
subsequent British colonial period (16th to
20th century), the bazaar remained along
the east-west axis and flourished to become
the centre of social as well as commercial
life. The bazaar still hosted particular trades,
like the shoemakers and the copper traders,
who later gave their names to streets where
these trades were practiced.
Nicosia Master Plan
The Nicosia Master Plan (NMP) is a bicommunal
project that promotes the revitalisation
of the walled city. Greek Cypriot
and Turkish Cypriot town planners, architects,
engineers, sociologists and economists
have been working under the umbrella of
the UN planning the development policies
for the wider area of Nicosia.
The buffer zone has been identified by
the NMP as the most important "uniting"
area for the functional integration of the
city and its development should assume its
original role as the hub of activity of the
walled city.
Between March 2001 and June 2003, the
a NMP team carried out a survey which
recorded the buildings within the buffer
zone, surveyed their structural condition
and examined possible measures to save
threatened buildings and halt their deterioration.
The team consisted of eight Greek
Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot architects and
engineers who worked together on a daily
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basis in the buffer zone.
Architectural drawings in electronic format
were prepared for 238 buildings or group
of buildings within the walled city and for
24 detached buildings to the west side of
the city, outside the walls. The evaluation
of the architectural value of each one of the
238 buildings concluded that 80% of these
buildings were listed as monuments, buildings
of exceptional architectural value and
environmental value. At the same time, the
poor structural condition of the buildings
pointed out the need for urgent intervention
in order to restrain the accelerated deterioration.
The experience was
absolutely amazing. Apart
from architectural analysis
and survey of the buildings,
the team members experienced this historical
part of their town which in essence
was inaccessible, even "dead" to them,
although in reality very much alive, living
in parallel with the two parts of the divided
city. Moreover, the project sent a positive
message for a peaceful coexistence in
Cyprus as the daily contact of the team members
from both communities provided the
opportunity to co-operate and build lasting
friendships.
The members of the project team were: Agni
Petridou – Architect and Town Planner –
Supervisor, Gul Oztec – Architect – Supervisor,
Eleni Petropoulou – Senior Architect,
Selen Avkan – Senior Architect, Osman Yilmaz
– Senior Civil Engineer, Simos Droussiotis
– Junior Architect, Vasiliki Ioakim –
Junior Architect, Andri Sofroniou – Junior
Architect, Asli Aker – Junior Architect, Fatma
Terlik – Junior Architect, Osge Osbekoglu
– Junior Architect.
Some Outstanding Buildings
Ayios Iakovos Church
Byzantine church dating to the 15th-16th
century with features which were added later,
such as the steeple and built-in ashlar
stones. The church is covered with two intersected
barrel vaults carrying the cupola, with
eight windows. The arch of the Holy
Place is semicircular.

Ayios Kassianos School
This is a complex of two neoclassical buildings
of the beginning of the 20th century,
identical in their original layout, but with
interventions made later.
Olympus Hotel
Built at the beginning of the 20th century
(1914), it was one of the most important
hotels in the walled city. Classical elements
decorate the façade. The ground floor, built
for commercial use, had simple elements of
decoration (pilasters-Ionian capitals) while
the first floor, occupied by the hotel, had
more complicated decoration elements such
as pilasters, balconies and Roman-Corinthian
cornices with modillions.
Houses with "Kiosk"
A number of houses within the study area
bear the characteristic "kiosk" on their street
façade, which stands as a cantilever on wooden
modillions.
The structure of the "kiosk" is wooden, with
light structure walls, "dolma", with wooden
parts and stone filling.
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The kiosk is an element deriving from the
Ottoman architecture, which developed according
to the social structure of those times, which
wants the women enclosed with restricted social
activity only on the upper floor. Most of
these houses were dwellings on the upper floor
with commercial use on the ground floor.
After the Ottoman period, the small windows
of the façade were often replaced by larger
openings decorated with neoclassical details.
Emergency Support Measures
Within the framework of the project, between
December 2003 and November 2004, a
number of emergency support measures were
undertaken to stabilise buildings in need of
repair. This difficult task was completed under
the supervision of architects and engineers of
the bi-communal NMP technical team, and
contributed to rescuing a number of buildings.
Common Vision
According to the Nicosia Master Plan, "…The
historic centre of Nicosia is an outstanding
example of international architectural heritage.
It is the heart of the city and it is irreplaceable….without
it Nicosia would lose its identity."
It is, therefore, of utmost importance that
the Walled City be protected and enhanced, so
that it can assume its proper role as an integral
part of the city.
A common scheme for the revitalization of this
area needs to be implemented, with the participation
of all interested parties that will lead
to its development according to the principles
and provisions of the Nicosia Master Plan.
Photos: Katia Christodoulou

60
The performance of DanceCyprus' latest
production, Rhapsody, was an exciting evening
of dance of true European standard achieved
through sheer determination and hard work.
The founders of DanceCyprus aspire to provide,
what has long been missing in Cyprus;
that is a professional company to entertain
local audiences and to inspire dancers and
choreographers.
The programme included three distinct and
new ballets. It began with Rhapsody in Blue
by Gershwin, choreographed by Julien
Ficely, who currently dances with
Ballet de Lorraine. Dancers Justin
Cumine, Sergio Giacomelli, Amy
Lazarou, Sebastien Mari, Elsa
Sabbatini and Galatia Savva
were all exceptional and
had a perfect
interaction between
them.
Dance Rhapsody
The second ballet, Une Nuit Blanche was
also created by Ficely to celebrate the tenth
anniversary of the Pafos Aphrodite Festival.
Dancer, Elsa Sabbatini on music from
Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly, poured
out her entire soul portraying her passionate
feelings with great physical agility. Together
with her lover, danced by Sebastien Mari,
they peformed a passionate “pas de deux”
dance with undulating movements.
The final ballet, Amoroso, was the highlight
of the evening. It was brilliantly choreographed
by Carolina Constantinou who is
currently soloist with the Munich National
Theatre. The contrapuntal music of Bach's
Brandenburg Concerto was reflected by the
dancers with their smaller, faster stylized
movements. The game with the suspended
balls, the recurring music of the drums before
Edith Piaf's song burst, the dancers' dark
shadows against the white background, and
the cleverly designed
costumes by Andy
Bargilly - were simply superb!
Carolina Constantinou displayed her artistry
in this high quality production, a real celebration
of dance.

Ministers of Culture at Versailles
The Minister of Education
and Culture, Mr Andreas
Demetriou, attended the Informal
Meeting of Ministers of
Culture of the European Union
at Versailles held between 21
and 22 of July 2008.
The main priority of the French
Presidency in the domain of
culture is the preservation and
protection of cultural heritage
and this was a subject for
discussion at the meeting of
Ministers. The Minister of Education and
Culture stated that the Republic of Cyprus
agreed with and supported the French
Presidency’s priorities and emphasised that
the protection of the cultural heritage is a
matter of priority for the Cyprus Government.
He noted that Cyprus, which has made a
contribution over many centuries to the European
cultural heritage, continues to be a victim
of the theft and plundering of her cultural
treasures which are in museums or private
collections abroad. In this context, he
asked that measures be taken to implement
the relevant EU Directive on the return of
Cultural Artefacts which have been illegally
removed from the territory of member-states,
as well as the implementation of the International
Conventions of UNESCO.
The Minister of Education expressed the support
of Cyprus for the initiative of France to
create the European Action for the European
Heritage Label, in which Cyprus
participates with four monuments.
In this context he supported
the creation of a digital
network on the European
Cultural Heritage to which
free access by the citizens of
the EU and other countries
will contribute to the promotion
of mutual recognition
among all cultures.
With the aim of promoting
the access of young people
to the cultural heritage of Europe, he suggested
the introduction of a lesson common
to all European schools for familiarising pupils
with the cultural monuments, and their history,
which are included in the programme
"European Heritage Label". He further noted
that the creation of a "European Cultural
Passport" for young people, suggested by
the French Presidency, could make a substantial
contribution to this end.
Within the framework of the Informal Meeting
of Ministers of Culture at Versailles, the
Minister of Education and Culture met the
European Commissioner for Education, Culture
and Youth, Mr Jan Figel. During their
meeting, they exchanged views on matters
of European interest as well as on matters
of priority for Cyprus.
Mr Demetriou extended an invitation to the
European Commissioner to visit Cyprus for
further talks and it was accepted. Jan Figel
will visit Cyprus on 1 December 2008.
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Countryside Documentary & Animated
Film Festival
Featuring more than 30 documentaries
and animation films from all over the world,
the Countryside Documentary and Animation
Film Festival was held between 30
July and 3 August 2008 for the seventh consecutive
year in the picturesque stone-built
village of Plataniskia, tucked away not too
far from Pissouri.
Organised by a number of Cypriot NGOs,
"Views of the World" and the Hambis School
of Printmaking, the festival aspires to mix
education with entertainment in a typical
Cypriot setting. As Yiorgos Tsangaris, Fes-
tival Management representative put it "we
hope that this small celebration of the arts
in the village of Plataniskia will put a smile
on everyone’s face as we share the infinite
pleasure of creation. Our only wish is to lay
the foundations of a creative future in the
cradle of a healthy planet."
Music, contemporary art, ecology, human
rights, immigration and folklore as well as
a panorama of animation short films and a
comprehensive tribute to Czech animation
constituted the range of themes in focus during
this year’s festival.
Committed to defending the arts and all they
stand for with a hand picked selection of
films, the Festival arouses the public’s mind
through the eyes of important artists.
In the section "Documentaries", the programme
included films about well-known
personalities such as the musical genius Manos
Hadjidakis in the film The Mirror and the
Knife directed by Demetris Vernicos or A.
Tassos directed by Sotiris Lambropoulos unveiling
the true expression and spirituality of the
Greek printmaker, or Orhan Pamouk – The
Antennae of Our Time by Angelos Kovotsos
in which the Nobel Laureate gives an interview
to the Greek public television.
There were also documentaries about the
troubled years of the 20th century and the
problem of the refugees from Eastern Thrace,
the Black Sea and Asia Minor brought to life
in Troubled Years by Kyriaki Malama or the

movement of economical immigrants from
Syria into Turkey and eventually into Cyprus
struggling for a better quality of life in
Hope Against Hopeless directed by Constantinos
Patsalides.
Twelve films were shown in the International
Panorama of Animated Films with productions
from Europe, Australia, the USA and
Iran.
The other two sections of the Festival were
a "Tribute to the Czech Animation" and
"Focusing on Illustration" introducing Gary
Baseman’s rich world of emotions, ideas,
humour and longing.
The event combined open-air screening with
an impressive array of printmaking, sculpting
and animation workshops. The educational
side of the Festival involved the participants
in a creative process offered by the
illustration workshop of American artist Gary
Baseman where they had the great chance to
become acquainted with the frightening
absurdities and intensity of his work, his irony
as well as his undeniable optimism in life.
Born in Los Angeles in 1960, Gary Baseman
has won an array of awards for his work in
both TV and printed media.
63

64
Achilleas Lymbourides, one of
Cyprus' earliest songwriters,
playwright and journalist, died
aged 88 in his hometown of Nicosia.
A versatile and multitalented artist,
Lymbourides also worked as a
journalist and publisher, founded
the first professional theatre in
Cyprus and authored several books. In 1997,
he was awarded the State Prize of Excellence
in the Letters and Arts for his cultural
contribution.
His death occurred just as the Union of Cyprus
Journalists was contacting him to organize
an event to celebrate his creative output. It
was announced that he will be honoured
posthumously.
Achilleas Lymbourides studied violin and
music at the Greek Conservatory in Cyprus
and later taught music himself at the National
Conservatory of Nicosia and at the School
for the Blind where he was the first to use the
Braille system for the reading of music.
A characteristic feature of his songs is that he
uses the lyrics of Cypriot vernacular poets,
such as Demetris Lipertis, Vasilis Michaelides,
Costas Montis, Michalis Pashiardis Tefkros
Anthias and others.
One of his songs won a prize in a Prague
Radio international competition in 1963. In
Achilleas Lymbourides
1917 - 2008
1964, he gave a series of concerts
with the Greek Opera and the
Athens Symphony Orchestra,
followed in 1969 by a performance
of his works at the 2nd International
Song Olympiad also held in Athens.
He showed his interest in the theatre
as early as 1942, when he established
together with Phivos Mousoulides the “Lyrical”,
the first permanent theatre company for which
he wrote plays and social sketches, and naturally
the music score.
As concerns his interest in journalism, in
1952 he started publishing the variety magazine
“Fakos” (Lens), which was issued for eight
years, while also working as a journalist for
newspapers. He also wrote the book “A History
of the Cypriot Journalism 1878-1960”.
His other publications include “Justice during
English Rule”, “English Rule in Cyprus” in
two volumes, “A Street Encyclopedia of Cities
and Villages of Cyprus”, “Five Prominent
Personalities of International Literature”,
“Cyprus and the Great War 1910-1920”, and
“Cyprus in the Interwar Period”.
Achilleas Lymbourides will be remembered
mostly for the beauty and joy of his music
which is being hummed by common folk
today across the island.