Cyprus Today April-June 2011

Cyprus
T O D A Y
Vo l u m e X L I X , N o 2 , A p r i l - J u n e 2 0 11

Volume XLIX, No 2, April-June 2011
A quarterly cultural review of the Ministry of Education and Culture
published and distributed by the Press and Information Office (PIO),
Ministry of Interior, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Address: Ministry of Education and Culture
Kimonos & Thoukydides Corner
1434 Nicosia, Cyprus
Website: http://www.moec.gov.cy
Press and Information Office
Apellis Street, 1456 Nicosia, Cyprus
Website: http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio
EDITORIAL BOARD
Chairperson: Pavlos Paraskevas, Director of Cultural
Services, Ministry of Education and Culture
Chief Editor: Michalis Papantonopoulos
E-mail: mpapantonopoulos@gnora.com
Gnora Communication Consultants
(website: www.gnora.com)
Tel: +357 22441922 Fax: +357 22519743
Editorial Supervision: Miltos Miltiadou (PΙΟ)
E-mail: mmiltiadou@pio.moi.gov.cy
Editorial Assistance: Kyriacos Vrahimis(PΙΟ)
E-mail: kvrahimis@pio.moi.gov.cy
Maria Georgiou (PΙΟ)
E-mail: mgeorgiou@pio.moi.gov.cy
David A. Porter
E-mail: mm2pcommunications@gmail.com
Design: Gnora Communication Consultants
Photographic credits: Leventis Municipal Museum
Renos Lavithis Archive
Andreas Coutas
Marianna Christofides
Nicolas Iordanou
Pravdoliub Ivanov
THOC
Printed by: Konos Ltd
Front cover: Poster model for the scenography exhibition “Stin
Bouka”, Casteliotissa Hall, 15 December 2006-5 January 2007. Coorganised
by THOC, Satiriko Theatre, Theatre Ena, ETHAL, Skala
Theatre. Curators: Charis Kafkarides, Melita Kouta. Poster Model:
Charis Kafkarides, Melita Kouta.
Back cover: “Guardians of the Island”, painting by AlinaTrofimova
(13 yrs old) from the 2011 exhibition “Cyprus and the Greek
Mythology” through the drawings of the children of the Marioupolis
Art School in Ukraine, held at the Leventis Foundation in Nicosia.
PIO 224/2011 – 10000
ISSN (print) 0045-9429
ISSN (online) 1986-2547
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Disclaimer: Views expressed in the signed articles are those of the
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The magazine can also be found on the Press and Information Office
website at www.moi.gov.cy/pio.
Contents
Editorial .............................................................................3
Theatre ..............................................................................4
Cinema ............................................................................12
“Temporal Taxonomy” ....................................................17
Monica Vassiliou .............................................................22
Akis Cleanthous ..............................................................23
“Cyprus-St Petersburg” ...................................................24
Honorary Cultural Grants ...............................................27
14th European Dance Festival ........................................28
“Dance/Body at the Crossroads of Cultures” ..................32
Painter Christos Foukaras; Elements of His Paintings ...33
Solo Art Exhibition by Renos Lavithis ...........................36
11th International Pharos Chamber Music Festival ........44
Concerts with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra
“From Romanticism to Neoclassicism” ......................46
“Images and Views of Alternative Cinema” ...................54
Spanish Film Festival 2011 .............................................56
“Cyprus Film Days 2011” ...............................................58
“Cyprus and Greek Mythology” .....................................67

Editorial
The second 2011 issue of “Cyprus Today” continues the overview of the cultural life of the island
since the declaration of Cyprus’ Independence. The magazine hosts an article by Dr Andri
Constantinou displaying the theatrical route Cyprus followed from ancient times to the present. In
addition, our readers will be informed by Elena Christodoulidou on the Cypriot cinematographic
scene, which had a late start (end of 1940s) and a rather slow development in its early years; however,
several new films have been produced by Cypriot film makers and interesting film festivals are
found in a number of cities on the island.
“Cyprus Today” also deals with the participation of Cyprus in the 54th International Art Exhibition Biennale
in Venice. Our country is represented by two artists, Marianna Christophides and Elizabeth Hoak-Doering
who, taking the Cypriot experience and historical reality as a starting point, approach issues of historicity,
identity and memory in a particular way, tracing and mapping data from a wider cultural history.
As regards cinema, the magazine presents the Spanish Film Festival 2011, which was held in Nicosia;
the international “Cyprus Film Days” Festival, which aims to contribute to the development and
promotion of the art of film-making in Cyprus and the wider area, and to introduce the work of foreign
film makers to the Cyprus public; and the “Images and Views of Alternative Cinema” Festival,
screening rare films from the international vanguard.
This issue also presents a concert series given by the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, “From Romanticism
to Neoclasiccism”, under the direction of the renowned conductor Nicolas Christodoulou; the
concerts were held in memory of the late Rodo Menelaou. It also documents the 11th International
Pharos Chamber Music Festival, one of the most renowned festivals of its kind in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In addition, “Cyprus Today” includes an article by Christodoulos Callinos on the artist Christos
Foukaras, and a review by Dr Criton Tomazos on the solo art exhibition by Renos Lavithis, which
was held at the Britannia Centre in the UK.
Dancing is represented in this issue by two articles, one about the 14th European Dance Festival
co-organised by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Rialto Theatre in collaboration with
the embassies of the countries involved; the other discusses the Conference, “Dance/Body at the
Crossroads of Culture”, a celebration of multicultural meetings from different parts of the world
which share dance and the body as their common loci.
“Cyprus Today” presents the “Cyprus-St Petersburg” cultural programme which took place in Limassol
and sought to bring the Cypriot audience closer to the culture of this major Russian city. In a similar
context, an exhibition of work by children from Marioupolis Art School in Ukraine was hosted in the
Leventis Municipal Museum under the title “Cyprus and Greek Mythology”. The exhibition displayed
drawings and sketches depicting problems the island faces and expressing the grief of Cypriot people
who were forced to abandon their houses after the Turkish invasion in 1974.
Finally, our readers will find two obituaries for the actress, director and political activist, Monica
Vassiliou, and the former Minister of Education and Culture, Akis Cleanthous, who passed away
recently, and details of the ceremony where the honorary cultural grants were awarded to 27 distinguished
persons of Letters and Arts.
3

There are indications of theatrical activity
in Cyprus in ancient times, but there has
been very little research into the theatre of that
period. Four ancient theatres have survived.
These theatres date back to the Hellenistic
and Roman eras and are situated across the island,
at Salamis, Soloi, Kourion and Paphos.
A religious drama from the Byzantine period,
called “The Cypriot Cycle of the Passion”, has
been preserved, but it has no connection with
a stage performance.
We have clear evidence of theatrical activity
from the second half of the nineteenth cen-
4
Theatre*
By Andri Constantinou
“Twelfth Night” by William Shakespeare, Arts Theatre (1961) – Photo: Yorgos Vatiliotis, Neophytos Neophytou Archive
tury. During the last years of Ottoman rule,
performances by Cypriot amateurs and Greek
touring troupes were few and far between.
After 1878, when power was transferred to
the British, the number of foreign companies
visiting Cyprus increased, more amateur theatre
groups were established as associations,
and there were quite a number of school performances
of ancient drama. During the last
decades of the nineteenth century, the first
examples of playwrighting appeared in modern
Cyprus, mainly on historical subjects.
The first landmark in the history of theatre in
Cyprus was the completion in 1899 of the Pa-
* The presentation of the Greek Cypriot theatre is based on research by the author and on the relevant bibliography. We refer to the
Turkish Cypriot theatre in short parenthetical paragraphs, because the sole bibliography in Greek consists of articles in the magazine
“Epi Skinis” [“On Stage”] and chiefly in the “Theatre Diary of 2009” of the Limassol Theatrical Course dedicated to the subject
of the Turkish Cypriot theatre. Relevant information was drawn from the article of Yasar Ersoy in the publication in question.

“Ach Moustafa” by Costas Montis, United Artists (1960) –
Photo: Yorgos Vatiliotis
padopoulos Theatre in Nicosia, an impressive
theatre building, by Cyprus standards, built
on the model of large theatres in Europe. Unfortunately,
the theatre was demolished at the
end of the 1960s.
Dramatics were also developed at the beginning
of the twentieth century by groups of
Turkish Cypriots. Initially Turkish Cypriot
theatre was based on traditional Turkish theatre,
i.e., performances such as Karagiozis and
popular forms of impromptu comedy, but later
followed western models. The first modern
work, “Vatan Yahut Silistre” [“Homeland or
Silistria”], by Namik Kemal, was staged in
1908.
A milestone in the theatrical life of Cyprus
was the “Paphitiki Epitheorisi” [“Paphian
Revue”], staged in 1918 in the small town of
Paphos by the pioneers Sotirakis and Kostas
Markides. It was clearly influenced by the
Athenian revue. The production went on tour
to other towns and two more versions were
performed in the following years. These performances
signalled the passage from nonartistic
amateur theatre at national or charity
events to theatre interested in art and entertainment,
and in satire, in this specific case.
In the years between the world wars, the theatre of labour associations
and organizations left its mark, while in the 1940s and especially during
World War II, Cypriot theatre began to acquire more professionalism.
“The Shoemaker’s Wonderful Wife” by Federico García Lorca, THOC (1973) – Photo: Fotociné, THOC Archive
5

Initially Turkish Cypriot theatre was based on traditional
Turkish theatre, i.e., performances such as Karagiozis and popular forms
of impromptu comedy, but later followed western models.
The revue later flourished in Limassol and
Larnaka. It was Nicosia’s turn in 1938, with
the Nicosia Musical Stage.
In the years between the world wars, the theatre
of labour associations and organisations
left its mark, while in the 1940s, especially
during World War II, Cypriot theatre became
more professional. The theatre companies
Lyriko [Lyric], Neo Lyriko [New Lyric],
Enosi Kallitechnon [Artists’ Union], Orpheas
and Prometheas, with the collaboration of directors
from Greece, such as Angelos Vazas,
Adamantios Lemos and Kostis Michaelides,
marked a short-lived climax and contributed
decisively to the development of the theatre.
As far as playwrighting up to 1960 is concerned,
not only poetic dramas but also realistic
plays on social issues were written, whilst
interesting examples of satire also exist. Other
notable works include those of Evgenios Zinonos,
“The Lawyer”, Tefkros Anthias, “The
Auction” and Demetris Demetriades or Dorian,
“The Descendant”. Reference should also
be made to the plays of A. A. Georghiades-
Kyproleontas, “A Night at the Inn” and “Life
in the Tomb”, and Loukis Akritas’s “Hostages”.
The greater part of the plays written during
the period between 1940 and 1974 however,
consists of works in the Cypriot dialect
on subjects derived from rural life.
One of the first examples of “ethnography” is
“The Love of Marikkou” by Kyriakos Akathiotis
(1938), which was performed many times
by professional and amateur troupes.
Cypriot ethography often contains music and
songs, and the spectacle often includes traditional
dances. The first example of this type of
comedy is “The Dream of Tzypris Lefkaritis”
by Kostas Harakis, with music and songs by
Achilleas Lymbourides. With this perform-
6
ance in 1951, the Kypriako Theatro [Cypriot
Theatre] embarked on its course and went on
to develop richly until 1961. A key figure was
the popular comedian, Nikos Pantelides. In
the 1950s Kypriaki Skini [Cypriot Stage] and
Enomenoi Kallitechnes [United Artists] also
appeared, led by Vladimiros Kafkarides, and
there were also some performances of operas.
These theatre companies were based in Nicosia,
while in Limassol groups of experienced
amateurs enlivened the life of the theatre under
the direction of Keimis Raftopoulos.
Plays in Turkish, including Turkish operetta,
were produced during the 1920s and 1930s in
the theatres of Beliğ Paşa, Papadopoulos and
Magic Palace. During the 1930s and 1940s
Turkish Cypriot athletic and rural organisations
successfully sponsored theatre activity.
With Cyprus’ independence, an impressively
dynamic period ensued in theatre: many companies
appeared, and a multitude of productions
was staged during each theatrical season.
Professional theatre in Cyprus was established
and began to mature. Artistic demands increased,
a lot of actors pursued theatrical studies,
and almost all of them could make their
living from acting. The companies which
decisively contributed to the development of
the theatre in Cyprus during the first years of
independence were the Theatro Technis [Arts
Theatre], the OTHAK [Organisation of Theatrical
Development in Cyprus], the Theatro
RIK [Theatre of the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation
(CyBC)] and the Peiramatiki Skini
[Experimental Stage].
The Theatro Technis (1961-1962) was an effort
to rejuvenate theatre by very young actors, including
Nicos Charalambous and Stelios Kafkarides,
and the director Thanos Sakketas. OTH-
AC (1961-1968) began with ambitious plans and

“The Suppliants” by Euripides, THOC (1978) – Photo: Fotociné, THOC Archive
a demanding repertoire; it was the first theatre
group to receive a state subsidy. Its first director,
Kostis Michaelides, was followed by Yiorgos
Filis. After 1964, OTHAC turned to revue,
Greek farce and Cypriot ethography. In 1969,
the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation founded
a theatre company known as the Theatraki tou
RIK [Little Theatre of CyBC]. It was supported
by personalities such as Andreas Christofides
and Evis Gavrielides. Through the dynamism of
those who inspired it, the homogeneity and the
zeal of the team and its bold repertoire, the company
introduced high artistic standards to Cypriot
theatre. Jenny Gaitanopoulou and Despina
Bebedeli made their mark as leading actresses
at the Theatraki. The company broke up in 1971
following the foundation of the THOC [Cyprus
Theatre Organisation].
The directors Nicos Shiafkalis and Vladimiros
Kafkarides made a major contribution during
the 1960s with the companies they founded and
the performances they staged. Peiramatiki Skini
[Experimental Stage] (1972-1974), founded by
the young actors Costas Charalambides, Lenia
Sorocou and Eftychios Poulaides, left its imprint
through productions of pioneering work in small
spaces and an emphasis on the art of acting.
As regards playwrighting following independence,
plays referring to the recent Anticolonial
In 1969, the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation founded
a theatre company known as the Theatraki tou RIK
[Little Theatre of CyBC]. It was supported by personalities
such as Andreas Christophides and Evis Gavrielides.
7

struggle of 1955-59 –such as “The Unworthy”
by Rina Katseli– and previous periods of Cyprus
history started to appear. The main volume of
plays was ethographical, mainly musical ethographical
comedies. The most important representative
of ethography was Michalis Pitsillides,
who introduces social issues in this tradition. A
particular case was that of Michalis Pasiardis,
whose work moves on the fringes of ethography
but is imbued with poetry. From Independence
up to the foundation of THOC in 1971, a plurality
of writers produced work for pure entertainment,
ethographical comedy, revue and political
satire. Some significant writers from this
8
The Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOC) was founded in 1971.
It is remarkable that Cyprus acquired its state
theatre just eleven years after the declaration of independence.
period include Demetris Papademetris, Marcos
Georghiou, Achilleas Lymbourides, Sotos Oritis,
Anthos Rodinis, Savvas Savvides, Michalis
Kyriakides and Andreas Potamitis. Other playwrights
also tested their abilities with different
forms and subjects. Examples include the polymorphous
work of Panos Ioannides and the polygraph
Eirena Ioannidou-Adamidou.
The Turkish Cypriot professional theatre company
called Ilk Sahne [First Stage] was founded
in February 1963. In 1965, First Stage
enjoyed the subsidy of the Turkish Cypriot
Communal Chamber and was renamed Turk-
“Nasos” by Andreas Thomopoulos, Vladimiros Kafkarides New Theatre (1986) – Photo: Satiriko Theatre Archive

“Endgame” by Samuel Beckett, Theatre Ena (1988) –
Photo: Theatre Ena Archive
ish Cypriot First Stage Theatre. The theatre
group attracted a regular and devoted public.
In 1971 the troupe Altun Sahne [Golden
Stage] was founded, which also performed
plays in the Turkish Cypriot dialect, such as
the play of Kemal Tunç, “Alikko ile Caher”.
It is remarkable that Cyprus acquired its state
theatre just eleven years after the declaration
of independence. The first director of THOC
was Nicos Chatziskos. In December 1972 the
direction of THOC was taken over by Sokratis
Karantinos, under the title of instructordirector.
Karantinos supported THOC in its
first steps with the confidence he showed in
Cypriot directors and his devotion to the art
of theatre. During its first three years, the Organisation
shaped its identity despite the many
difficulties it faced, and it consolidated itself.
From 1972-1975 Iakovos Philippou served as
managing director of the Organisation, while
in 1975 Evis Gavrielides was appointed as its
director, a position he held till the end of 1988.
In the years following 1974, the repertoire
of THOC took on a political dimension. At
the same time, THOC also gained prestige in
Greece, mainly through the tours with Bertolt
Brecht’s “Mother Courage” in 1977, directed by
Heinz Uwe Haus, and Euripides’ “The Suppliants”
in 1979, directed by Nicos Charalambous.
“The Suppliants” made an excellent impression
and in 1980 was the first production of THOC
at Epidaurus. To date the Organisation has performed
twenty-seven productions at the Festival
of Ancient Drama of Epidaurus, with many successes
to its credit, while Cypriot directors have
made significant suggestions of their own with
regard to the interpretation of ancient drama.
In 1976 the Children’s Stage of THOC produced
its first play for children. In 1989 Andy
Pargilly undertook the direction of the Organisation.
Other directors include Christos Siopachas
(1995-1998), Andy Pargilly (1998-2007)
and Varnavas Kyriazis (2007-present).
The New Stage of THOC was founded in the
1990s. The first attempts for the foundation of
a second stage had already been made in 1976
with plays from the modern repertoire. The
Experimental Stage was inaugurated in 2001,
extending the repertoire of THOC and creating
a space for alternative productions and
new playwrights.
During the first years following the coup d’état
and the Turkish invasion, theatrical activity
in Cyprus dwindled to that of THOC and of
groups performing revues. At the end of the
1970s, theatrical groups began to make a dynamic
appearance but were short-lived; at the
end of the 1980s theatrical activity began to
stabilise. The enactment of subsidies, follow-
At the end of the 1970s, theatrical groups began to make
a dynamic appearance but were short-lived; at the end
of the 1980s theatrical activity began to stabilize.
9

“The Red Laterns” by Alecos Galanos, Theatre Ena (2009) – Photo: Theatre Ena Archive
10

“All About my Mother” by Samuel Adamson based on the
film by Pedro Almodovar, Scala Theatre (2010) – Photo:
Theatre Scala Archive
ing the activation of the THOC Development
Sector contributed to this. This activity began
to shape Cyprus theatre in its current form.
In 1986 members of the Kafkarides family
and close collaborators founded the Satiriko
Theatro [Satirical Theatre]. In 1987 Andreas
Christodoulides founded Theatro Ena [Theatre
One] and is still its director. In 1989 Limassol
personalities founded the Limassol Theatre Development
Company (ETHAL); its director to-
day is Menas Tigkilis. A similar initiative took
place in Larnaka in 1996 with the foundation of
the Scala Theatre; its director today is Andreas
Melekis. The Anoictho Theatro [Open Theatre],
Theatre Dionysos, Theatre Anemona [Anemone]
in Nicosia, Theatre Versus in Limassol, as
well as many other, mainly young companies,
operate today, without a permanent base, and
occasionally offer pleasant surprises within this
recent theatrical plurality and decentralisation.
As far as the theatrical activity of Turkish Cypriots
is concerned, in 1975 the Turkish Cypriot
Theatre First Scene was renamed Turkish Cypriot
“State” theatre [Kibris Türk Devlet Tiyatrosu].
In 1980, following their dismissal for political
reasons, four artists (Yaşar Ersoy, Osman
Alkaş, Erol Refikoğlu and Işin Cem) founded
the Theatre of the Turkish Municipality of Nicosia
[Lefkoşa Türk Belediye Tiyatrosu]. The theatre
company, later renamed the Turkish Cypriot
Municipal Theatre of Nicosia [Lefkoşa Belediye
Tiyatrosu], extended its repertoire, undertook
the organisation of various related activities
(festivals, etc.) and worked for the rapprochement
of the two communities through collaborations
with the Satiriko Theatre. In the 1980s and
1990s, mainly amateur groups were active, such
as Theatre Emek in Famagusta, Theatre GÜSAD
(Güzel Sanatlar Derneği, Union of Fine Arts),
the Private Artistic Company of Morphou and
the Company of the Cyprus Chamber of Arts.
The Turkish Cypriot Comedy Group attracted
the interest of the public by presenting works
in the Turkish Cypriot dialect. In the meantime,
the Turkish Cypriot “State” Theatre, which was
mainly staffed by artists from Turkey, changed
its staffing policy and employed local artists
beginning in 1994, an action applauded by the
Turkish Cypriot press. From 2004 onwards the
theatre entered into an era of restructuring, with
an extended theatre company and increased pro-
The Turkish Cypriot Comedy Group attracted the interest of the public
by presenting works in the Turkish Cypriot dialect.
ductions every year.
After the coup d’état and the 1974 invasion, many
Greek Cypriot playwrights tackled the shock, trauma
and changes brought directly and indirectly to
Cypriot society by this political blow. Examples
include Panos Ioannides and Rina Katselli from
the older generation and Yiorgos Neofytou, Maria
Avraamidou and Andreas Koukkides from the next
generation. Examples of writers who emerged in
the last fifteen years are Evridiki Pericleous-Papadopoulou,
whose plays are poetic, and Nearchos
Ioannou, Antonis Georghiou and Adonis Florides,
who attempt to broaden their subject matter with
modern issues relevant to Cypriot society.
Note: The article was taken from the edition “Window on
Cyprus”, PIO, 2010. Translation: Christine Georghiades.
11

“Akamas”, directed by Panicos Chrysanthou (2006)
Cinematographic production in Cyprus had
an inevitable late start and a rather slow
development in its early years. The history of
cinema in Cyprus began at the end of the 1940s,
when the British colonial government started to
train Cypriot film makers at the Colonial Film
Unit. With the advent of Cypriot television in
1957, the first short films, mainly documentaries,
were produced.
12
Cinema
By Eleni Christodoulidou
The pioneers of Cypriot cinema during the
1950s were George Lanitis, Ninos Fenek
Michaelides, Renos Watson, Polys Georgakis
and others who directed and produced shortlength
films. Some of these were: “The Island
of Aphrodite”, “Salamina”, “Botrys of Cyprus”,
“Communication”, “The Hand” and “Roots”,
by Nicos Lanitis and George Stivaros.
Feature-length films were produced much later in

the 1960s. In 1963 George Filis directed a film
depicting the traditional Cypriot wedding, then
“Love Affairs and Heartbreaks” in 1965 and, soon
after, “The Last Kiss” and “1821 and Cyprus”. In
1969, George Katsouris and Costas Farmakas directed
the comedy, “Money the Clown”.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s there was
a richer crop of films. George Filis produced and
directed “Gregoris Afxentiou”, “Cyprus’ Betrayal”,
and “Mega Document”. The cinematographic
entrepreneur Diogenis Herodotou also started
producing films including “Tears and Strings”,
“Fitillas’ Trial”, “Kidnapping Gogou”, “Firfiris
Visits Athens”, “The Cypriot Pauper”, “Holiday-
ing in Cyprus” and “The Cyprus Singer”.
In the mid- and late 1970s Costas Demetriou
produced and directed a number of feature
films: “Vendetta”, “Order to kill Makarios” and
“For Whom It Should Rain”.
In the 1980s the following feature films were
produced: “Tomorrow’s Warrior” by Michael
Pappas; “The Rape of Aphrodite” by Andreas
Pantzis (which won first prize at the Thessaloniki
Film Festival in 1985) and “Troubled Winds”
by Yiannis Ioannou. In 1985 Christos Shopahas
was awarded first prize at the Moscow Film Festival
for his film “The Descent of the Nine”.
The history of cinema in Cyprus began at the end of the 1940s,
when the British colonial government started
to train Cypriot film makers at the Colonial Film Unit.
“And the Train Goes to the Sky”, directed by Yiannis Ioannou (2001)
13

“The Last Homecoming”, directed by Corina Avraamidou (2008)
“Soul Kicking”, directed by Yiannis Economides (2006)
14

The government has allocated financial
support for more than 130 films. Currently,
the annual funding budget is 1.500.000 euro.
In the 1990s, Cypriot films gained even greater
international recognition: “The Wing of the
Fly” by Christos Shopahas won the prize for
best direction at the Thessaloniki Film Festival
in 1995. “The Slaughter of the Cock” by
Andreas Pantzis, a Cypriot-Greek-Bulgarian
co-production, won the prize for direction at
the Thessaloniki Film Festival in 1996 and was
nominated by Greece as its selection at the Oscar
Awards for best foreign language film for
1997. Also in 1997, Aliki Danezi Knutsen produced
“Roads and Oranges”; in 1999 Cypriotborn
director Michael Kakoyiannis directed
“Cherry Orchard”, an adaptation of the Chekhov
play.
Cinematographic production in Cyprus received
a boost in May 1994 with the establishment
of the Cinema Advisory Committee.
The Committee is mandated to recommend
funding for the best proposals submitted by
Cypriot producers/directors in the categories
of feature-length films, short films, documentaries
and animation.
Since 2003, the Ministry of Education and Culture
has been responsible for the Cinema Sector
through the “Programme for the Development
“Honey and Wine”, directed by Marinos Kartikkis (2006)
of Cyprus Cinema”. Its priorities are cinematographic
production, education and professional
training; the programme finances international
co-productions, high and low-budget feature
films, short films, documentaries, animation
and experimental films, as well as the local
distribution and circulation of Cypriot films in
theatres. It also provides financial support for
film makers to participate at international film
festivals and in various educational seminars
and workshops abroad. The government has
allocated financial support for more than 130
films. The annual budget for the programme is
1.500.000 euro.
More recent feature-film productions include:
“And the Train Goes to the Sky” by Ioannis Ioannou
(2000); “The Road to Ithaca” by Costas
Demetriou; “The Promise” by Andreas Pantzis;
“Under the Stars” by Christos Georghiou;
“Bar” by Aliki Danezi-Knusten (2001); “Red
Thursday” by Christos Siopachas and “Kalabush”
by Adonis Florides and Theodoros
Nikolaides (2003); “Soul Kicking” by Yiannis
Economides and “Honey and Wine” by Marinos
Kartikkis (2006); “Akamas” by Panikos
Chrysanthou, “Hi I’m Erica” by Ioannis Ioannou
and “The Last Homecoming” by Corina
“The Road to Ithaca”, directed by Costas Demetriou (2000)
15

“Slaughter of the Cock” by Andreas Pantzis, prize for
direction Salonica Film Festival (1996)
Avraamidou (2008); and “Guilt” by Vassilis
Mazomenos (2009). Currently [in 2010], there
are three films in post-production: “By a Miracle”
by Marinos Kartikkis; “Dinner with my
Sisters” by Michael Hapeshis; and “Knifer” by
Yiannis Economides.
The Ministry of Education and Culture is also
responsible for bilateral agreements and the
promotion of Cyprus as a destination for film
makers, and tax incentives are being promoted
in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce,
Industry and Tourism. Cyprus is a member
of Eurimage, the Media Programme, the
SEE Cinema Network, the EFAD (European
Film Agency Directors) and the EFARN (European
Film Agency Research Network), and has
signed the European Convention on Cinematographic
Co-Productions.
16
“Kalabush”, directed by Adonis Florides
& Theodoros Nikolaides (2003)
The Cultural Services section of the Ministry of
Education and Culture organises, on a regular basis
and in cooperation with other organizations,
film festivals throughout the year, including: the
“Mini International Festival: Cyprus Film Days”;
the “Alternative Cinema Festival”; the “European
Film Academy Shorts”; and the “Cyprus Shorts
and Documentaries Festival”. The Cultural Services
section also organises two documentary festivals;
the “International Children’s Film Festival”;
and screens various Cypriot films in rural areas.
It also supports film clubs and associations like
“The Friends of Cinema Society” and “The Directors
Guild of Cyprus”.
Note: The article and photos, except for the photo from
“Soul Kicking” by Yiannis Economides, were taken from
the edition “Window on Cyprus”, PIO, 2010.
The Ministry of Education and Culture is also responsible for bilateral
agreements and the promotion of Cyprus as a destination for film makers.

The Cyprus Pavilion
at the Biennale Arte 2011
Marianna Christophides – Elizabeth Hoak-Doering
Curated by Yiannis Toumazis
Commissioner: Louli Michaelidou
Assistant Commissioner: Angela Skordi
Production Manager: Constantinos Filiotis
Press and Communication Manager: Marika Ioannou
Graphic Design: Xenios Symeonides
17

At the 54th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale
di Venezia, Cyprus is represented by
two artists, Marianna Christofides and Elizabeth
Hoak-Doering. Taking the Cypriot experience and
historical reality as a starting point, both artists approach
issues of historicity, identity and memory in
a particular way, tracing and mapping data from a
wider cultural history.
Marianna Christofides, who belongs to the young,
dynamic generation of Cypriot artists, redefines
an image of the world by methodically collecting
and recreating, with clinical precision, fragments
of photographic memory and topographical views
of history, thus challenging the apparent reality.
These cartographic renegotiations of alleged (or
not) worlds examine and process a new space-time
grid of existence, in which utopia and reality are incorporated
with the same validity. The reconstruction
of coordinates and the appropriation of images
from disparate and geographically remote areas
recreate a new topography of the fantastic.
“Marianna Christofides and Elizabeth Hoak-Doering for Cyprus was another of my favourite
pavilions: Elizabeth’s DIY kinetic art drawings were whimsical but provocative, and Marianna’s
meticulous collection of photographic and topographic views of Cypriot history was by far and
away the best use of archival materials (a technique used by every other artist at this Biennale).”
American-born Elizabeth Hoak-Doering has been
living and working in Cyprus for years. Her proposal
consists of a contemporary re-working of
kinetic art and a critical approach to history and
memory. In her recent kinetic installations, objects
are obliquely triggered by the visitor’s presence,
gradually producing drawings or traces on paper
over a period of time. The work raises questions
of agency and the scope of human memory, exposing
new ways of reckoning spatio-temporality.
Doering critically examines the complex social and
political nexus in Cyprus in a manner that is significantly
universal in its reach.
The synergy between the “emotional” object drawings
of Doering and the “scientific” topographies
of Christofides creates a special dynamic inside the
exhibition space. Through a museography of time
18
Crystal Bennes
and space, the exhibition aims, on the one hand, to
explore social, political and cultural relations, as
well as trends and tensions on a local and global
level; on the other hand, it attempts to operate in
the manner of medieval “illuminated manuscripts”
to convey new and valuable knowledge. The work
of both artists departs from the Cyprus experience
and the field of socio-politics, but it extends and
transforms so as to articulate a substantial discourse
as part of a much broader, global system. Issues of
multiculturalism, crossings, displacement, migration,
and hybridization are common ground in their
research. Their meeting inside the Cyprus Pavilion
seeks to highlight and negotiate existing positions
and contradictions surrounding the apparent homogeneity
of a globalised environment, while simultaneously
addressing the deeply human need

The Cyprus Pavilion
for spiritual and intellectual transgression. One
that leads to a redefinition of the spatio-temporal
systems of existence, as well as a reformulation of
human experience.
The Cyprus Pavilion was inaugurated on 4 June.
The exhibition is accompanied by a bilingual publication
–English and Greek– with essays by Yiannis
Toumazis, Marcia Brennan and Liz Wells. The participation
of the Republic of Cyprus at the Venice Biennial
is organised and sponsored by the Ministry of
Education and Culture with the kind support of the
Cyprus Tourism Organisation and the Academy of
Media Arts Cologne. Media sponsorship is provided
by the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation.
The Cyprus Pavilion “Temporal Taxonomy” will
remain open until 27 November 2011.
The Artists
Marianna Christofides (b. 1980, Nicosia) studied
Visual and Media Arts at the Academy of Fine
Arts in Athens and at the Slade School of Fine Art
in London. She then completed her Postgraduate
Degree in Media Arts and Film at the Academy of
Media Arts Cologne. In 2010 she received the Friedrich-Vordemberge
Grant for Visual Arts from the
City of Cologne. In 2009, Christofides represented
Cyprus at the Biennial of Young Artists from Europe,
where she won the Resartis-Worldwide-Network-of-Artist-Residencies
Award. That same year
she also received the 1st Prize for Best Documentary
in the 5th Cyprus Short Film and Documentary
Festival for her film “Pathways in The Dust. A Topography
out of Fragments” (the film was screened
at various venues in Germany, among others: “Reel
“The most interesting by far was the work of one of two artists representing Cyprus this year, Elizabeth
Hoak-Doering, who was kind enough to take a break from last-minute installation tweaks
to talk with us. Hoak-Doering brings her background in anthropology to questions of agency and
the object/viewer relationship. Borrowed objects –a hat rack, a school desk, an iron bed– from
Cypriots on both sides of the Greek/Turkish divide are turned into drawing machines. The gallery
visitor (and hidden motion detectors) sets these disparate things rotating, and graphite and mylar
record the motion, like EKGs. The delicate drawings that result are open to interpretation, and
each work might be considered an Emotion detector.”
Marjorie Och/Preston Thayer
19

“Housed on the second floor of one of the less attractive palazzos (with no windows or air-con,
it seems) the Cyprus Pavilion is nonetheless one of the big surprises of the Biennale. There’s a
really nice contrast between the works of the two artists on show: Elizabeth Hoak-Doering has
created a series of large-scale (and totally nuts) kinetic sculptures that feature desks, chairs and
beds dangling from the ceiling. Pencils attached to the bottom create haphazard drawings as
these items of furniture twirl clumsily about. Meanwhile, Marianna Christofides presents a series
of small photographic pieces, maps and a video. A bold pairing of artists that somehow works.”
to Real”, “Family Affairs”, Mousonturm, Frankfurt
and Black Box Film Museum, Düsseldorf). Since
2005 she has received numerous scholarships and
prizes from, among others, the A. S. Onassis Foundation,
the German Academic Exchange Service
DAAD, the Michelis and the Eurobank Foundation
and the National Scholarships Foundations of
Greece and Cyprus.
Selected exhibitions: 2011 Solo exhibition
Omikron Gallery, Nicosia/ “localhost”, AzKM
Contemporary Art Space, Munster. 2010 “Chypre
2010: L’Art au Present”, Espace Commines, Paris/
Friedrich-Vordemberge Prize holder, Federal Association
for Visual Artists, Cologne/ Goethe-Institute,
Ankara/ “Dialogues with the Machine”, MA-
“Stereoscapes” by Marianna Christophides
“Flyaway Inlays” by Marianna Christophides
20
DATAC Festival, Madrid/ “Looking Awry: Views
of an Anniversary”, Lanitis Foundation, Limassol/
“Notes to Self”, Omikron Gallery, Nicosia. 2009
“Along the Rhine – Cologne/Düsseldorf”, Kunst
im Tunnel, Düsseldorf/ XIV Biennial of Young
Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean, Skopje/
ArtCologne International Art Fair, Cologne.
www.mariannachristofides.com
Elizabeth Hoak-Doering (b. 1966, Philadelphia,
USA) holds a BA in Anthropology from Amherst
College (USA) and an MAed. and an MFA in
Sculpture from Boston University. In 1996 she received
a Fulbright Scholarship to study Sculpture
and Archaeology in Cyprus, and in 2000 she was a
“Blank Mappings” by Marianna Christophides
“Sequence” (detail) by Marianna Christophides
Tom Jeffreys

“Drawing by a Metal Bed”
by Elizabeth Hoak-Doering
“Dust from 1533, Leonid
[Asteroid] Showers” by
Elizabeth Hoak-Doering
“Things, witnesses”, (detail) by Elizabeth Hoak-Doering
resident artist at the Monagri Foundation in Limassol.
Her trans-disciplinary projects are realized in
multiple formats: drawing, multimedia, sonic and
kinetic installation and published academic papers.
While her work focuses on Cyprus, it also draws
from her experience among the Navajo (2008), in
Armenia (2001 and 2006), and with the Samburu
of Kenya (1986-87).
Selected solo exhibitions: 2009 “amanuensis”,
The Pharos Centre for Contemporary Art/
“things, witnesses!”, Nicosia Municipal Art
Centre in Association with the Pierides Foundation.
2003 “Stream of Consciousness”, Art
Alliance of Philadelphia, USA.
Selected group exhibitions: 2010 “Chypre 2010:
“Full Moon in Armenia” by Elizabeth Hoak-Doering
L’Art au Present”, Espace Commines, Paris/ out
of OSTRALE ’10, Dresden (a travelling exhibition
continued in Belgium and Poland)/ Suspended
Spaces, Amiens 2002 and 2008 Armenian Biennial,
Gyumri. 2005 “ARTWork”, Tufts University,
Massachusetts. 2004 “Altered Eden”, Brattleboro
Museum and Art Centre, Brattleboro,Vermont.
Doering’s writing has been published in the “International
Feminist Journal of Politics” (2010) and
“The Cyprus Review” (2009). More recently she
presented talks on the subject of the Suez Canal and
Cypriot heritage (PRIO 2010) and on photography,
“The Acoustics of Still Photography” (Cyprus University
of Technology, 2010). She is currently Assistant
Professor of Art at the University of Nicosia.
www.ehdoering.com
“This sense of the frustrated and the inverted was also used by American born Cypriot Elizabeth
Hoak-Doering, in the understated yet cohesive Cyprus Pavilion. Her kinetic sculptures are triggered
by the visitor’s presence – hanging wardrobes, tables and beds make beautiful pencil marks
on paper that resemble automatic drawings. The sound of the creaking objects contrasts directly
with the delicate scratching of the pencil on paper, creating a sense of impending fragility despite the
hefty physical presence of the protagonist objects.”
Lucy Bannister
21

On 8 April, the actress, director, theatrical
teacher and political activist Monica
Vassiliou lost her battle with cancer.
Ms. Vassiliou was born in Greece, on the island
of Lesvos, in 1936. She studied Drama
at the Ostrovski Institute in the former Soviet
Union and later specialized in children’s
theatre at the Centre d’ Éducation Populaire in
Paris. Her stage career includes performances
in Moscow, London, Athens and Nicosia. In
London she appeared in a BBC production
of Nicos Kazantzakis’s controversial novel
“Christ Recrucified” as the widow, a role
previously played by Melina Mercouri in the
Jules Dassin 1957 film version. She was also
the first actress to appear naked on the Greek
stage as Lady Chatterley in a theatrical adaptation
of D. H. Lawrence’s novel “Lady Chatterley’s
Lover”. Ms. Vassiliou also starred in a
number of television series.
A member of a family that participated intensely
in Cyprus politics –her brother George
22
Monica Vassiliou
Obituary
Vassiliou was President of the Republic of
Cyprus from 1988 to 1993– Ms. Vassiliou was
also a political activist, though she declined to
seek a seat in the House of Representatives.
She was part of a protest by Cypriot women
in Acropolis; they hung banners with slogans
in many different languages decrying the occupation
by Turkey of the northern part of
Cyprus.
The Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus expressed
its sorrow over the death of Monica
Vassiliou. The first female director and actress
in Cyprus, she served her art with passion.
She was one of the few people of the theatre to
study and work in so many different countries
and schools. President Demetris Christofias
expressed his sincere condolences to her husband
and family.
The funeral was held at state expense on 11
April at 12.00 p.m. at the Church of Panayia
Evangelistria in Pallouriotissa.

Akis Cleanthous, former Minister of Education
and Culture, died suddenly on 11
April from a heart attack. Cleanthous, who was
running as a candidate in the parliamentary
elections of 22nd May, was with two journalists
at a café in Aglandja when he excused himself
to go to the bathroom. As his delayed return
caused concern, one of the journalists tried to
call him on his mobile but he did not answer.
The journalist went upstairs and knocked on
the door, but...there was no response. An ambulance
was called, and Cleanthous was found
unconscious, having fallen on the floor.
Akis Cleanthous was born in 1964 and came
from Argaka, Paphos District. He studied at
Baruch College in New York, where he received
a degree in Marketing Management. He then
pursued his studies at St John’s University, Νew
York, where he earned the post-graduate degree
MEA in Quantitative Analysis. On his return to
Cyprus he was employed in the banking sector;
he distinguished himself with a number of initiatives,
including his innovative activities in the
field of electronic banking services. He was also
a lecturer at tertiary education institutions in Cyprus
while managing a large firm dealing with
modern technologies.
In 2003 he was appointed by the Council of
Ministers to the post of Chairman of the Cyprus
Stock Exchange, an office he held up to 20 Feb-
Akis Cleanthous
Obituary
ruary 2007, when he assumed the office of Minister
of Education and Culture. He remained in
that position until the Cypriot presidential election
in February 2008.
Akis Cleanthous’s social and political activity
started during his student years, developed
through student and youth movements
and continued through his membership in the
Democratic Party, in which he participated as
a member of the Executive Office and Head of
the Political Planning Bureau.
Cleanthous also served as the Chairman of the
Spyros Kyprianou Institute, a Cypriot think
tank. In 2008 he took a position as the Managing
Director of Evresis Loyalty Management.
He also served as the Chairman of Sea
Star Capital Plc and as a Member of the Board
of Directors of the Nicosia Chamber of Commerce
and Industry.
He was married to Christiana Cleanthous and
had one son, Evangelos.
Cleanthous’s funeral was held at the Saint
Sophia Church in Strovolos on 13 April. The
ceremony was attended by family, friends,
politicians and state officials from across the
whole political spectrum of Cyprus, including
the President of the Republic, Mr Demetris
Christofias. Cleanthous was interred at St Nicolaos
cemetery.
23

The “Cyprus-St Petersburg” cultural programme
was inaugurated on 2 June with a performance
by the West Military District Headquarters Band
in Limassol. The programme was created to bring
Cypriot audiences closer to the culture of this major
Russian city. More than 300 artists joined the six
events included in the programme, which lasted until
26 June. “Cyprus-Petersburg” was held under the
auspices of the President of the Republic of Cyprus,
Mr Demetris Christofias, and with the support of
the Mayor of Limassol, Mr Andreas Christou, and
was sponsored by the Cyprus Tourism Organisation,
the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Russian
Commercial Bank, the Etalon Group, the Hellenic
Bank, the Andreas Neocleous law firm, OPAP Cyprus
and SCF Group.
24
The events
On 2, 3 and 4 June the West Military District
Headquarters Band performed in Limassol
(District Administration’s Office Square), Larnaka
(Phinikoudes Beach) and Paphos (Castle
Square), respectively.
The Band was founded in 1882 when Emperor
Alexander III signed a decree for setting up the offcourt
musical chorus and it continues the traditions
of Russia’s oldest military bands to this day. Since its
inception the Band has become one of the greatest
and most renowned music groups of The Red Army,
with a loyal following in St Petersburg. Today the
wide repertoire of the band includes both Russian
and foreign classics, alongside jazz standards and variety.
The band’s dramatized parade-ground concerts
are highly acclaimed for their spectacle and showmanship.
Internationally the band has performed at
the leading festivals of military music, including festivals
in Austria, Germany, Holland, Spain, Liechtenstein,
Finland, France, Sweden, Switzerland and,
of course, Russia. They have been led by some of
“Cyprus-St Petersburg”
the world’s greatest conductors, including N. Rahlin,
K. I. Eliasber, B. E. Hajkin, E. Grikurov, J. H.
Temirkanov and V. A. Chernushenko. Since 2007
the chief of the military band service and its conductor
is Lieutenant Colonel S. S. Vovk.
“Terem Quartet” gave 3 concerts on 8, 9 and 10
June. The venues were Castle Square in Limassol,
Agia Napa Medieval Monastery Square, and Castle
Square in Paphos.
“Terem Quartet” was founded in 1986 by students
from the Department of Folk Instruments at the
Leningrad National Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire.
The quartet has represented St Petersburg at
numerous international events and is regarded as
a symbol of the city and of Russia. They are the
only chamber folk ensemble in the world performing
international musical classics in proprietary arrangements.
The ensemble’s extensive repertoire
includes over 500 original classical and contemporary
compositions performed with a unique and

fresh style. For over 20 years the “Terem-Quartet”
has achieved international acclaim, performing
over 2,500 concerts in 60 countries worldwide.
Members: Andrei Konstantinov (minor domra),
Alexei Barschev (alto domra), Andrei Smirnov
(bayan), Michael Dzyudze (double-bass balalaika).
The Cypriot audience had the opportunity to enjoy
three performances of the “Pavel Smirnov” Accordion
Orchestra at the Lefkara Square (18 June), at
the Municipal Amphitheatre in Paralimni (19 June)
and at the reclamation eastern side opposite St Catherine’s
Catholic Church in Limassol (20 June).
Performing an exquisite repertoire of classical,
folk and even rock music, the 50 viruoso musicians
of the Accordion Orchestra create a unique
sound, making them uncontested stars in the
world of music. Founded in St Petersburg in 1943,
the Orchestra has been led by three generations of
one family – first by its founder, Maestro Pavel
Smirnov, then by his sons, Yuri and Vladimir
Smirnov, and now by his grandson, Yaroslav. The
ensemble has won numerous prestigious awards
and is considered to be one of the leading ambassadors
of Russian culture. World renowned
composers, including Shostakovich and Khacha-
Terem Quartet
turian, have recognized the unique sound of the
Orchestra and supported its activities, ensuring its
place as one of the most prominent ensembles in
the world today.
On 20, 21 and 22 June the Chamber Choir of the
Smolny Cathedral performed at the Casteliotissa
Hall in Nicosia, at the Saint Lazarus Church
Square in Larnaca and at the Agia Napa Church
in Limassol.
The Chamber Choir of Smolny Cathedral was
founded in 1991 and is recognised as one of St Petersburg’s
greatest choirs. In addition to an extensive
repertoire of Russian and Western European
classics, the Chamber Choir of Smolny Cathedral
also performs captivating new twentieth century
music and rare compositions. The Choir comprises
many exceptional singers, all of whom are graduates
of the leading conservatoires of Russia. The
thrilling performances of the choir are characterised
by a dynamic blend of tender flowing voices
and richly saturated harmonies. In addition to their
regular appearances at Smolny and St Isaacs cathedrals
in St Petersburg, the Choir has achieved international
acclaim for its performances at festivals
around the world.
25

Chamber Choir of Smolny Cathedral
From 23 to 26 June a photographic exhibition
dedicated to the first Mayor of St Petersburg, Anatoly
Sobchak, was held at the Panos Solomonides
Cultural Centre in Limassol. The exhibition was
organized in cooperation with Ludmila Narusova,
President of the Anatoly Sobchak Foundation. The
photographs displayed were courtesy of the Anatoly
Sobchak Contemporary Russia Democracy Development
Museum.
A statesman, lawyer (Ph. D. Law) and professor,
Anatoly Sobchak was the first Mayor of St Petersburg
to make an outstanding contribution in the development
of democracy in contemporary Russia.
Sobchak reinstated the historic name of the city. He
formed a strong professional team of young educated
and talented managers, including the Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev, the Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin and others. Anatoly Sobchak was the
President of the International Petersburg-Leningrad
Redemption Charity Foundation, the President of the
St Petersburg UNESCO Cooperation Centre, and a
Memory Prize winner. Sobchak was also one of the
contemporary authors of the Russian Constitution
which, for the first time in the history of the country,
declared human rights as basic Russian values. He
also made a huge contribution to the development
of science and culture in Russia and to the country’s
international relations.
26
On 24 and 25 June the Cypriot audience enjoyed
two evenings of breathtaking dance performance as
the world renowned Mariinsky Ballet Company
took to the stage at the Garden Theatre in Limassol
with a thrilling and original programme that affirmed
its rightful place as one of the world’s greatest ballet
companies. Joyous, life affirming and spectacular, the
Mariinsky Ballet Theatre celebrated over 100 years of
work in a stunning mixed bill featuring the acclaimed
“Carmen Suite”, “Simple Things” and “Chopiniana”.
From its roots in aristocratic entertainment some
250 years ago, classical ballet has since become
one of the most highly regarded of entertainment
performances, with legendary Russian companies
leading the way on the world stage. First founded
at the Bolshoi Theatre in St Petersburg, the Mariinsky
Ballet Company has been resident at the
Mariinsky Theatre since 1885. Throughout the
history of the company, its choreographers, dancers
and designers have been championed as some
of the greatest artists in the world. Legendary
Mariinsky Company performers include Anna
Pavlova, Marina Semenova, Galina Ulanova,
Rydolph Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Valery
Panov, Yuri Solovyev and Anatoly Sapogov.
Note: Photos were taken from the website www.cyprusstpetersburg.com.

On 20 June, 27 distinguished persons of Letters
and Arts were given the honorary cultural
grants –an institution supported by the Cultural
Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture–
by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr
Demetris Christofias, at the Presidential Palace.
The following people received grands:
Writers: Vasilka Hadjipapa, Efrosini Igoumenidou,
Jacqueline Karageorghis, Andreas Koukides,
Georgios Moleskis, Georgios Neofytou, Panayiotis
Papademetris, Andros Pavlides, Antis Roditis.
Artists: Rhea Bailey, Dimas Efthivoulou, Nikos
Kokkinis, Georgios Kyriakou, Phaedon Potamites.
Musicians/Dancers: Michalis Christodoulides,
Christodoulos Georghiades, Stella Panayidou,
Martino Tirimo.
Actors/Directors: Marousa Avraamidou, Takis
Christofakis, Maro Kafkaridou, Yiannis Mentonis,
Alkistis Pavlidou, Voula Pelekanou, Spyros Stavrinides,
Christos Zanos.
Before the ceremony, the attendants observed one
minute’s silence in the memory of actor Leandros
Panayiotides, who passed away on 9 June.
Addressing the event, President Christofias said
the government’s aim was to involve children in
Honorary Cultural Grants
President Christofias gives the honorary cultural grants
the process of creation, in the framework of educational
reform. “Our aim is the substantive rewarding
of cultural creators to take on a proper form,
and such an institution is the annual honorary
grants,” he said.
The President highlighted that within the framework
of the grants, over 200 creators have been rewarded
in literature, music, theatre, contemporary
dancing, visual arts and pop culture.
Addressing the recipients of the awards, President
Christofias said each one has offered valuable
services to the Republic and he congratulated
them for their contribution to the development of
the country.
“Our cultural identity comes to the forefront now
more than ever, and Cyprus will have the opportunity
to promote its achievements and culture, and
contribute to the fulfilling of political and cultural
goals, values and visions, during the second half of
2012, when it will be presiding over the EU Council,”
he said.
“In a period of a deep global crisis, not just financial
but one of principles and values, during which
the endurance of the people is tested, the need to
turn to cultural work is a priority.”
27

28
14th European Dance Festival
Cyprus in European rhythm

The European Dance Festival is organised
by the Ministry of Education and Culture
and the Rialto Theatre in collaboration with the
embassies of the countries involved, and every
year charismatic and acclaimed dance groups
from Europe and Cyprus participate. Ten remarkable
performances in Limassol and Nicosia
marked the 14th European Dance Festival,
which presented current trends in the contemporary
dance world to the Cypriot audience.
The European Dance Festival, after fourteen
years, has managed to win a special place on
the map of European festivals and has built
bridges to international dance. This year, major
artists from eight European countries presented
trends that permeate contemporary dance and
“Compagnie Linga”
“K. Kvarnstrom & Co/Helsinki Dance Company”
showcased its many different elements, inviting
a wider audience to experience and enjoy the
magic of dance. The performances, attended by
a large number of spectators, eclipsed the success
of prior festivals.
The importance of dance to the town of Limassol
is very well known. Its nearly 70 schools of
dance, the Platform of Contemporary Dance, the
Summer Festival of New Motion Choreographers
and Dancers, performances and events at
the Dance House Limassol and dozens of performances
by professional dance groups are emblematic
of the significance of dance in Limassol,
the epicentre of dance in the Republic.
This year’s program comprised seven performances
at the Rialto Theatre, four at the
29

“Serial Paradise Company”
“DOT504” Loizos Constantinou and group “Noema Dance Works”
Pallas Theatre in Nicosia (where part of the
Festival has moved in recent years), and a
workshop for professionals from the awardwinning
Chris Haring.
The Festival raised its curtain on 2 June at the
Rialto Theatre with the renowned dance group
“Compagnie Linga” from Switzerland. Compagnie
Linga was founded in 2003 by Katarzyna
Gdaniec and Marco Cantalupo. The two
30
choreographers/dancers presented the work
“no.thing” (60΄).
On 4 June at the Rialto Theatre and 6 June at
the Pallas Theatre the “K. Kvarnstrom & Co/
Helsinki Dance Company”, from Finland,
performed “XPSD” (60΄) by choreographer
Kenneth Kvarnstrom, who is known for the exceptional
lighting, scenery and general design
of the company’s performances.

On 8 June at the Rialto Theatre, Romania introduced
the “Serial Paradise Company”
with the performance “Supersomething” (50΄),
a work created by choreographer Cosmin Manolescou,
one of the leading choreographers of
contemporary dance in Romania.
On 8 June at the Pallas Theatre and on 10
June at the Rialto Theatre, the dance company
“Liquid Loft/Chris Haring” from Austria
presented “Posing Project B – The Art of Seduction”
(70΄) which was created by Chris Haring.
The company has won international acclaim
and awards, including the Golden Lion
for “Best Performance” at the 2007 Venice
Biennale.
On 16 June at the Pallas Theatre, Cyprus participated
in the European Dance Festival with
two performances that have excelled in the
11th Contemporary Dance Platform: “Dice”
(12’), by Loizos Constantinou, and “Zero
State to Twelve” (15’) by Alexandra Waierstall,
which was performed by “Noema Dance
Works”.
On 18 June at the Rialto Theatre, Portugal presented
the dance group “TOK’ ART”, a new
company (2006). “TOK’ ART” presented a
three-part performance: “Milk – Lake – Suggestions
for Walking Alone” (60’), choreographed
by André Mesquita.
On 21 June at the Rialto Theatre, and the following
day at the Pallas Theatre, the dance
company “DOT504”, from the Czech Republic,
presented the play “100 Wounded Tears”
(70’), winner of the Herald Angel Award at the
Fringe Festival Edinburgh and the Total Theatre
Award – Special Commendation at the 2009
Fringe Festival Edinburgh.
On 29 June at the Rialto Theatre, Germany introduced
the dance group of Walter Bickmann
with the piece “Icon” (60΄), choreographed by
Walter Bickmann; the production comprised
audio, mobile and virtual components. Walter Bickmann
31

Dance/Body “
at the Crossroads of Cultures”
was a celebration of multicultural meetings
from different parts of the world that
share dance and body as their common loci.
Everyday life, artistic creation and academic
research came together in an interdisciplinary
dialogue. Internationally acclaimed theorists
and practitioners exchanged their latest questions
on dance and the thinking body. Contemporary
dance was discussed as a powerful way
of understanding the state of the world today,
as well as our role in it. The theme, location,
timing, collaborating institutions and the discursive
modes of the conference demonstrated
Cyprus’s valuable contribution to the conference
and its potential as a credible partner for
international networks.
The Conference took place at the University
of Nicosia and Kasteliotissa Hall in Nicosia
from 16 to 18 June. Through presentations
of academic papers, performances and informal
exchanges during walks and meals, the
Conference brought to the fore key issues of
identity, division and transformation, and connected
philosophical and theoretical discourse
with the language of practice through interarts
approaches. It also provided an opportunity
to bridge the gap between creative people
who have remained apart for several decades,
and for international and local artists to suggest
ways of creating shared experiences in
performance.
Plenary lectures were given by Rustom
Bharucha, an independent writer, director and
cultural critic based in Kolkata, India, and a
leading interlocutor in the area of intercultural
performance at both theoretical and practical
levels, and by Guy Cools, a dramatist involved
with the new developments in dance
from the ’80s (initially as a dance critic) and a
32
“Dance/Body at the Crossroads of Cultures”
theatre and dance director. Rustom Bharucha
proposed “Reconfiguring the Politics of Interculturality
in Body/Dance”; Guy Cools presented
“We Are all Carriers: On the Notions
of Identity, Territory, Nomadism and Home in
Contemporary Dance”.
The Festival was organised by Dance Gate
– Lefkosia, Cyprus, and formed part of the
Modul-Dance Project, which is supported
by the Culture Programme of the European
Union. The Conference’s organization was
supported by the University of Nicosia and
consultancy was provided by the Centre for
Intercultural Performance Practice, University
of Exeter. “Dance/Body at the Crossroads of
Cultures” was sponsored by the Cyprus Ministry
of Education and Culture, the Cyprus
Tourism Organisation, the European Commission
Representation in Cyprus, the Pharos Arts
Foundation and the Rainbow Art Shop.

Painter Christos Foukaras; Elements of His Paintings
Christos Foukaras
few years ago the art historian Nicos Had-
A jinicolaou declared Christos Foukaras one
of the most important figures in the artistic life
of Cyprus and Greece, on account of his creative
work and his moral stature. This article reviews
the creative work of the artist, mainly his
more recent work; his “moral stature” is more
or less known to all of us in our small country.
Early in his artistic course, Christos Foukaras
was attached to objective reality, using a vocabulary
limited to the basic principles of plasticity.
Gradually, however, he began to modify
this vocabulary, as he became inspired more
by imagination than by visual experience.
Thus, as his paintings evolved they abandoned
the Procrustean bed of a suffocating and rigid
By Christodoulos Callinos
formalism; the forms and shapes in some of
his best compositions form simple allusions,
rather than holding to a ritualistic dedication
to formalism. Although it would be near blasphemy
to compare the paintings of Foukaras
with those of Rembrandt or Titian, I have the
feeling his artistic course was parallel to those
of these two great painters. His latest period,
one of his best, strongly recalls the sensuous
colors of Cezanne or Matisse; Foukaras’s latest
work pushes the intensity of color to its
limits and distinguishes him as the most colorist
painter in contemporary Cypriot painting.
In a number of his latest works, the artist explores
the limits and the potential of color in
painting. In these works the painter softens his
33

contours, helping the colors form a dialectic
relation to each other. From this point onwards,
the extraordinary power of color overwhelms
any embellishment that would impose
a realistic style on his paintings, though the
time Foukaras spent as a formalist is descernible.
The latent feeling of the drawing and the
structure of the composition hold him back
from any form of color chatter. Color does
not function arbitrarily in these paintings, and
the composition, in spite of the color spree,
maintains its structural cohesion. What is essential
in these compositions isn’t the natural
objects they represent, but the color qualities
he achieves and the expressive power of color
which unifies the various elements of the composition
into a consolidated and inextricably
tied whole.
34
“Houses and People”
Foukaras entitled his most recent work “Houses
and People’’. In this new work, the artist returns
to visual reality, specifically to the social
space and human activity, not in order to describe
it realistically but to search for stimuli, to
activate the memory and to liberate the imagination.
With fast drawing and simple descrip-
tion, he succeeds in transferring to his paintings
the environment of his subject without limiting
himself to scholastic description.
Foukaras depicts social space, not as a neutral
and “empty box”, but as a vivid social fabric,
overcoming the “shell” of the picturesque we
come across in conjectural approaches, which
focus on social space as if it were not created
and not inhabited by people. Indeed, his paintings
aim mainly at activating local memory and
liberating its symbolic representations.
This seems to be a conscious decision on the
part of the artist who, in a recent conversation
with me, stressed: “I am not interested
in folklore…” He does not choose his topics
because they appear picturesque to him, but
because these are the issues he feels compelled
to express. His authenticity is palpable
because he approaches everything, the
familiar space he is associated with, in an
experiential relationship, and his topics usually
have an experiential starting point. The
scenes of farming life, the daily preoccupations
and gestures of people –the square, the
coffee shop and the village neighborhoods–
are experiential starting points for the artist,
rather than a search for the exotic and the
picturesque.

One of the issues which preoccupied me when I
saw Foukaras’s most recent work was why he had
sidestepped the power of the color language he
used in his paintings in the immediately preceding
period. A possible reason is perhaps he wished to
shift the centre of gravity of his paintings to the
thematic level, something we also observe in the
case of painters like Diamantis who, when he decided
to depict and memoralise “the world of Cyprus”,
chose color neutrality and descriptive simplification.
Although the thematic and experiential axis is the
dominant, unifying axis of expression in Foukaras’s
recent work, the success of this work is based
purely on imitative values present in his painting
and in shaping his expressions on the basis of
some form of geometric abstract painting and simplification,
especially when he uses schematically
structured space to organize his composition.
35

successful, well-attended private viewing of
A the solo art exhibition by well-known Cypriot
artist Renos Lavithis took place on Thursday,
12 May, at the Britannia Centre in Finchley.
The exhibition, which included some 65 pieces
from the artist’s prolific output, was in four main
categories grouped according to Lavithis’s favourite
subjects and preferred techniques:
a) “Blue and the Sea” – an ongoing theme,
consisting of seascapes and the glory of
Blue. Oils on canvas.
b) “The Nude” – freehand studies in drawing
of the human (mostly female) form which
Lavithis sees as part of his progress. He uses
various techniques – pencils, crayons, charcoal,
pen and ink or watercolour wash.
c) “My Cyprus” – drawings, inspired by Cyprus
and often by Lavithis’s native Paphos,
including his beloved archaeological monuments.
They are drawn in pen, ink and wash,
ink and watercolour wash, ink and graphite/
wash, graphite and pencil.
d) Views of London, a major part of Lavithis’s
recent work, including scenes of the Thames
and historic buildings around Fleet Street.
These pieces, which use mainly pen with ink
and wash, but also graphite and pencil, have
proved very popular.
Most of the works in the exhibition are from
2009-2011, one of which was selected for
first prize in an exhibition of 100 paintings at
the Bankside Gallery.
He says of his paintings (Blue and the Sea): “This
is my soul – it comes from my childhood and can
never go away.”
36
Solo Art Exhibition by Renos Lavithis
Review of exhibition and private view at Britannia Centre
By Dr Criton Tomazos
Peter Droussiotis, President of Episteme opens the
exhibition. Next to him is the artist Renos Lavithis and
Kypros Charalambous, Cultural Counsellor of the Cyprus
High Commission in London
In a telephone interview with journalist Melanie
Dakin, recently published in a North London
local newspaper, the “Watford Observer”,
Lavithis said: “Graphic work has helped a lot
in my composition and in the contrast of colours
I use…If I ever become an abstract painter
it will be a fantastic combination, but I prefer
to be more figurative...I now express myself
as a painter. The difference for me is that with
graphics everything has a logical form or a colour
and a definite explanation. Painting is more
of an exploration of feeling.”
Lavithis was born in Paphos, where he attended
secondary school until the age of 19.
He moved to London in 1964 and has lived in
Barnet for the past 24 years. He is a member
of the Barnet Collection and regularly exhibits
with the Barnet Guild and the Finchley Art
Society. He studied life drawing and composition
at St Martin’s School of Art, did a foundation
course in Art at Sir John Cass College of

“View from top of St Paul’s”; ink and wash on watercolour paper
Art, then won a scholarship to study Graphic
Design at Ealing School of Art from 1968-71.
After Ealing he studied Advanced Typographical
Design at the London College of Printing
and attended workshops in Etching and Drawing
at Byam Shaw School of Art, followed by
life classes at the Slade, the Prince’s Drawing
School and elsewhere. On graduation, Lavithis
was hired at the “Daily Mail”, starting
out in the publicity department in 1974. He
worked for the newspaper for thirty years,
opting for early retirement, seven years ago,
to devote himself to his art. He also built a
career in graphic design and publishing while
employed at the “Daily Mail”. He ran his own
advertising and promotions business, Tophill
Advertising and Promotions Ltd, and became
a design and graphics consultant.
His published books, under the imprint of Interworld
Publications, include several titles:
“Paphos, Land of Aphrodite” Tourist Guide –
last edition now 224 pages; “Explore Cyprus”
Tourist Guide – first edition published in the
late 1980s, followed by several other editions
and re-prints; “Cyprus in Pictures”, An illustrated
Guide. Another of Lavithis’s publications,
“Aphrodite, the Mythology of Cyprus”, was
written and compiled with well-known Cypriot
painter Stass Paraskos.
Lavithis has had many exhibitions of his artwork,
both group and solo shows. From 1963 until today,
Renos has exhibited in 20 or more exhibitions,
seven of them solo exhibitions, at venues
including the Hilton Nicosia, Paphos Town Hall,
the Hellenic Centre in London, the Britannia
Centre in London, Gallery 47 in Central London,
Bankside Gallery in Central London, the Barnet
Guild of Artists, Barnet Art Society, Luton Museum,
Ayot St Lawrence Art Festival, Herts Visual
Art Forum, St Albans and elsewhere.
Some of his works are in public and private
collections, including The Zambellas and
Struggle Museum Collections in Nicosia and
37

The House of Lords Permanent Contemporary
British Landscape Collection in London.
Some institutions, banks and other organisations
have Lavithis paintings in their collections;
Lavithis has also donated some of his
work to various charities.
The Brittania Centre exhibition was under the
auspices of “Episteme”, the Association of
British Cypriot Professionals. The chair and
founder, Mr Peter Droussiotis, is also President
of the National Federation of Cypriots in
Britain. “Episteme” was founded in 1982 and
acts as an interactive network of British Cypriot
professionals and scientists. It focuses on
the advancement of knowledge and the communication
of ideas in the fields of politics,
business and finance, science and the professions,
culture, media and the arts, through
events, debate, research and publication. The
exhibition was also supported by the Greek
Cypriot Trust.
“St Bride’s Church of the Journalists”; graphite and pencil
– private collection
38
Mr Chris Ioannou, trustee of the Greek Cypriot
Trust who manages the exhibition space
and its many activities, welcomed visitors to
the private viewing, paying tribute to Renos
Lavithis and the distinguished guests, who
included Mr Kypros Charalambous, Cultural
Counsellor of the Cyprus High Commission in
the UK; Ms Marina Yiannakoudakis, European
Parliament MP for London; Cllr Lisa Rutter,
new Mayor of Barnet; Cllr Barry Evangeli,
Deputy Mayor of Barnet and others. Mr Peter
Droussiotis paid tribute to the artist, stressing
the vital role of art and culture for the survival
of any community. Renos Lavithis followed
at the microphone, thanking all his sponsors
and supporters, Chris Ioannou, his wife, Anna
Lavithis, and three fellow artists, painter Chris
Savvides, sculptor Cos Gerolemos and the
writer of this review, who provided a brief introduction
to Lavithis’s work.
Anna Lavithis also exhibited a selection of her
delicate and sensitive ceramics during the private
viewing. The exhibition remained open until 20
May.
I have been to several exhibitions of Lavithis’s
work and have participated with him in two group
exhibitions, “Summer Vision” (2009) and “Open
Art Exhibition” (2010). I must admit I needed
several years to become acquainted with Lavithis’s
art and to accept, assess and evaluate it
on its own merits, to understand what it means
to him and what he intends to convey to his
viewers. This is partly because he is a dedicated
traditionalist, expressing himself predominantly
through representational paintings and
drawings, albeit with considerable passion,
love and conviction, upholding traditional
values and conditions firmly associated with
representational, figurative painting. I consider
myself a dedicated modernist. I believe in
freedom of experiment, exploration and discovery
in form, shape, technique and expression,
but particularly with regard to subject
matter; I believe in exploring innovative art
forms and combined art forms. However, my
personal, lively interest and practice in figu-

“Fleet Street Towards East”; ink and wash on watercolour paper
rative art and studies from nature, the human
form and architecture helped me overcome my
inhibitions and to relate to and better appreciate
Lavithis’s art and his passionate desire to
paint, a desire he continues to pursue singlemindedly.
It is of course a pity, in my mind, that he has
not included in this recent exhibition some
earlier and quite powerful works, which I
find more daring in technique and stronger
in their imaginative subject matter. These are
quite dramatic works and, although sometimes
painted in a folkloric, naïve style, are striking
and memorable.
Another issue I had for several years was his
persistent preoccupation with “topographical”
drawings and paintings, especially as I felt
many of them seemed to be popular “postcard”
or familiar photographic views. Some of
these paintings seemed to derive from actual
photographs.
“My London – My Cyprus”
This exhibition, however, especially the
fine, sometimes exquisite, ink and wash or
pencil drawings of London and Cyprus, have
provided the links, explanations and rationale
that made these drawings and paintings more
meaningful for me. Lavithis’s clear and wellplaced
annotations and descriptions for each
drawing gave not only topographical and historical
details but also personal notes. These
notes provided an emotional link to Lavithis’s
life and work, almost like illustrations in a private
diary. In one note, he explained, whenever
he works from a photograph, it is always a photograph
he has taken himself from a selected,
personal angle.
Lavithis’s paintings evoke the philosopher
Zeno’s concept of “oikeiosis” (familiarisation
and affection) with one’s environment, one’s
specific situation, those around him/her and
him/herself in a changing context. I can imag-
39

“Aphrodite’s Rock and Birthplace”; ink and watercolour wash
ine the momentous and strenuous adjustments
a sensitive young man, coming from Paphos,
had to make after moving to a vast, impersonal,
often alienating (if not hostile) city like
London. It is a long, painful, demanding process,
stretching your physical, mental and psychological
faculties to their limit over many
years. I now interpret these works largely as
the artist’s visual means of discovering a physical
metaphor, of familiarising himself and accepting
his new environment as the fabric of
his new life and work required; these works
are his “oikeiosis” for his new lifestyle, his
new architectural background, the often overpowering
scale of population, buildings and
objects. His drawings of selected locations in
London, frequently neighbourhood landmarks
or favourite buildings, pubs, taverns or other
haunts around Fleet Street –his workplace
during 30 years of employment at the “Daily
Mail”– are clearly more than topographical illustrations.
They have a presence, an intimacy
and a sense of belonging, as if they are an ex-
40
tension of the artist’s expanded environment;
an environment he wishes to embrace and include
in his personal microcosm.
The drawings “Fleet Street Towards East”, “Temple
Church”, “Press House Wine Bar”, “Ye Olde
Cock Tavern”, “El Vino Wine Bar”, “The Punch
Tavern”, “Old Northcliffe House”, “Temple Bar
Memorial”, “Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese/Fleet
Street”, “Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Yard” and
the masterly “St Bride’s Church” may be wellobserved
pictorial records of local and/or national
history, but to me they are also personal signposts
along Lavithis’s daily journeys to and from work,
remembered walks during lunchtime breaks,
meeting places and frequented haunts with fellow
workers and visitors, nostalgic views livened with
light touches of colour, red for the buses and post
box pillars, an occasional gentle green or blue.
The wider, panoramic views, including the
stunning, softly drawn and painted ink and
wash “View from Top of St Paul’s”, “London
Eye and Parliament”, “The River and Oxo

Tower”, “St Paul’s from Tate Modern” and
“The Shard Over Cannon Street Bridge” are at
once famous London landmarks, yet they are
also delicately conveyed personal visions, captivating
and intriguing.
In his collection of drawings under the title
“My Cyprus”, Lavithis externalises in a similar
manner his love for and pride in his native land
through a selection of his favourite monuments,
locations or other landmarks: “Ayios Georghios
Peyias”, “Byzantine Castle, Paphos”, “Paphos
Castle and Harbour”, “Basilica at Kourion”,
“Temple of Aphrodite” view A, “Temple of
Aphrodite” view B, “Ayios Lazaros Church,
Larnaca”, “Temple of Apollo Hylates”, “Salamis
Gymnasium”, “Ancient Amathus” and “Kolossi
Mediaeval Castle” are meticulously drawn illustrations,
in a technique which at times echoes
other art forms, e.g., etching, lace, embroidery or
even filigree work in precious metal. The artist
often creates a decorative border around some
of the drawings of monuments, with some emblematic
inserts (coins, religious symbols, totems)
closely associated with his chosen subject.
He thinks these drawings could be used for postcards,
or for Cyprus postage stamps.
Some drawings have a strong atmospheric quality,
like the “Paphos Harbour View”, which is imbued
with nostalgia and melancholy, while the drawing
“Boats at Paphos Harbour” is a brilliant impression
of a scene made magical by the crystal
mirror of the sea, painted with an economic
mastery of watercolour wash I have rarely
seen before. I find Lavithis’s freehand
sketches drawn directly on location more
inspiring, liberating and attractive, like
a breath of fresh air in a sequence which
sometimes feels laboured and somewhat
cliched, if not rigid. “Boats at Paphos Harbour”,
“Aphrodite’s Rock and Birthplace”,
“Coast at Aphrodite’s Birthplace” and
some others show another, more spontaneous
aspect of Lavithis’s art, communicating
the instant delight of the Cyprus seascape,
the bright light, the air, the uninhibited joy
of direct experience.
“The Nude”
Encountering Lavithis’s freehand drawings
from life –almost exclusively of the female
nude– is like discovering a different artist.
There is professional competence but also freedom,
spontaneity, a sense of pleasure and relaxation,
yet also the same sense of observation
and concentration evident in his townscapes
and street scenes. There is also a shift in his
technique, as he allows himself the freedom to
explore different drawing methods, to experiment
with different drawing materials, and to
use alternative types of paper.
Lavithis attended life classes from the very start
of his artistic career and still does life drawing,
allocating time to draw and paint nudes, which
he says helps strengthen his painting. He enjoys
short poses most, though some of his more elaborate
figure drawings show considerable skill,
focus and observation, such as “Four poses”,
“Nude studies I & II”, “Sitting nude” and “Short
poses”, while others exhibit a strong emphasis
on form, with broader, vigorous crayon or charcoal
technique or dramatic sculptural depiction.
Finally, in “Nude Resting” and “Sleeping
Nude”, the artist approaches the study of the
female nude with a sense of intimacy, affection
and familiarity – reminding me of the casual,
everyday views painted by some notable 19th
century impressionists.
“Four Poses”; soft charcoal
41

“Blue and the Sea”
The last section in the Brittania Centre Exhibition
comprised a selection of some 16 paintings,
all of them oil on canvas, mostly painted in
the last three years, between 2009 and 2011.They
are all seascapes of Cyprus, except for a painting
of Oia in Santorini and three of Ennerdale Lake in
Cumbria, England.
Seascapes –boats by the seaside, nameless seashores,
seaside sunsets and isolated remote
chapels (parekklisia) on a sea promontory, as
well as more readily recognisable seaside landmarks,
namely the Paphos Castle– are the predominant
theme in Lavithis’s paintings and
drawings, a theme to which he returns time and
again. In these paintings the human presence is
either eliminated or only hinted at: empty fishing
boats, lying still on the seashore; a sail boat
just about visible in the horizon; uninhabited,
humble chapels, the recurring castle by the sea
in Paphos.
“Paphos Harbour View”; ink and wash on watercolour paper
42
The viewer is invited to breathe in the wonder
of the sea (the Cyprus sea in particular)
– its anonymous expanse or its more intimate
seashores, always calm, often a transparent
azure, invariably luminous, iridescent or glorified
by the sunrise or sunset. Remembering
what the artist told me recently, that he paints
now to transmit a feeling of serenity, I believe
these seascapes are kind of similar to
what mythical, ancient Arcadia was for artists
two and three centuries ago – an idyllic,
dreamlike utopia of blissful, unspoilt countryside,
a peaceful return to life in perfect
harmony with nature.
The sea Lavithis depicts is always perfectly
calm, drenched in sunlight, embraced by the
clearest blue skies, inviting the spectator to
enter her warm embrace. “Morning in Bay”,
“Paphos Sunset”, “Paphos Coast”, the impressive
“Panorama of Paphos Harbour”, “Larnaca
Bay Sunset” and “Protaras Coast”, as well as
the paintings of fishing boats gently resting by

“Protaras Coast”; oil on canvas
“Pebble Beach Sunset”; oil on canvas – private collection
the sea, “Small boat”, “Yellow Fishing Boat
in Bay”, “Three Fishing Boats” and “Two
Fishing Boats”, are ultimately variations on a
theme, testimonies to the artist’s lifelong adoration
of this peaceful, secluded, unpolluted
memory of the sea – a sea which has become
familiar through “oikeiosis”. Lavithis’s sea is
far from and unrelated somehow to the luring,
restless, cavernous seas of the Odyssey,
from threatening storms, violent hurricanes,
typhoons and tsunamis.
In his later paintings, “Emmerdale Lake, Cumbria”,
“Pebble Beach Sunset” and “Pebble
Beach”, Lavithis takes a fascinating view of
pebble beaches. The pebble beach paintings are
concerned with texture; the detailed close-ups
of pebbles create an almost flat, colourful, abstract
mosaic.
“Panorama of Paphos Harbour”; oil on canvas
In his simplified painting technique and individual
colour sense, Lavithis perseveres, persisting
stoically with his chosen themes, making
visible his innermost yearning for a return
to a serene, unperturbed life in harmony with
the elements, especially the life-giving sea; his
vision of the sea promises fulfilment and happiness,
respite from the turbulence and noise of
an urban civilisation which has become alienating,
and overwhelming, which is often a vulgar
and impersonal labyrinth.
If at times Lavithis seems repetitive and less
daring or radical than other painters, he projects
a clear, simple but enticing vision of our endangered,
idyllic (if idealised) habitat with heartfelt
passion, love, conviction and eloquence. His
work thus never requires the need of elaborate,
pretentious interpretation.
43

Now in its eleventh year, the International
Pharos Chamber Music Festival is considered
one of the most renowned festivals of its
kind in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Festival,
which has established itself as the highlight of
the Pharos Arts Foundation’s concert and recital
series, has made chamber music more accessible
to a Cypriot audience, with performances of the
highest standard, stimulating programmes and
affordable tickets. Guided by a visionary spirit
and dedicated to artistic excellence and innovation,
the Festival attracts over 2,000 visitors
every year. The Festival also maintains a strong
tradition of community service, with educational
concerts organised for primary education students
from surrounding areas.
The International Pharos Chamber Music Festival
opened on 6 May with a piano recital at The
Shoe Factory in Nicosia with Paavali Jumppanen
performing Beethoven Sonatas. The
Festival continued with five exciting concerts
(24-28 May) in the magnificent Royal Manor
House in Kouklia/Palaipaphos, one of the finest
surviving monuments of Frankish architecture
44
11th International Pharos Chamber Music Festival
Poster for the 11th International Pharos Chamber Music Festival
on the island, and featured some of the most
celebrated musicians in the world, including
the concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic,
Daishin Kashimoto, and the renowned flutist
Emmanuel Pahud. There was plenty of mouthwatering
music during the Festival, including
Mozart’s “Flute Quartet in D major”, Arensky’s
“String Quartet No. 2”, and the string trio arrangement
of Bach’s “Goldberg Variations”.
The Festival concluded with another piano
recital at The Shoe Factory (29 May), with
Philippe Cassard performing works by Liszt,
Schubert and Debussy.
The artists who participated in the Festival were
as follows: Violin: Daishin Kashimoto, Maja
Avramović, Tamaki Kawakubo. Viola: Diemut
Poppen, Amihai Grosz. Cello: Alexander
Chaushian, Timothy Park. Flute: Emmanuel
Pahud. Soprano: Margarita Elia. Piano: Ashley
Wass, Vahan Mardirossian, Paavali Jumppanen,
Philippe Cassard.
The Festival was supported by the Ministry
of Education and Culture, Cultural Services,
among others.

Paavali Jumppanen
The Venues
The Royal Manor House in Kouklia is one of
the finest surviving monuments of Frankish
architecture on the island and an unparalleled
venue for intimate chamber music performances
– the building also houses an archaeological
museum, which displays the rich history
of human activity in the region from about
2,800 BC to the present day. The Royal Manor
House, which is part of the Cyprus Tourism
Organisation’s “Aphrodite Cultural Route”,
is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Palaipaphos,
or Old Paphos, was a city-kingdom
of Cyprus and one of the most celebrated pilgrimage
sites in the ancient Greek world. It
was the site of a famous sanctuary of Aphro-
dite, the oldest remains of which date back to
the 12th century BC.
The Shoe Factory is situated in the old part of
Nicosia, near the buffer zone. The Pharos Arts
Foundation is helping to revitalise this beautiful
and historic section of the capital city by attracting
a wide and diverse young audience. All
Shoe Factory concerts are characterised by a
unique feeling of intimacy: music is performed
in an exceptionally inspiring setting, a modern
space decorated with contemporary art mainly
from local artists. The venue is situated in the
“run down” part of Nicosia – it offers audiences
the unique opportunity to sit within an amazing
proximity to world famous artists, and to experience
performances in a venue like no other.
45

46
Concerts with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra
“From Romanticism to Neoclassicism”
The Cyprus Symphony Orchestra presented
its concert series, “From Romanticism to
Neoclassicism”, under the direction of renowned
conductor Nicolas Christodoulou (who has Cypriot
origins) and with Cypriot violinist Menelaos
Menelaou. The concerts took place in memory of
the late Rodo Menelaou, a member of the Board
of Directors of the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra
Foundation. The programme included Chopin’s
“Five Préludes for Strings” (transcribed by N.
Christodoulou), Dvorak’s “Violin Concerto” in A
minor, “Siegfried Idyll” by Wagner, and the “Classical
Symphony by Prokofiev”.
The three evening concerts were held on 11 May at
Strovolos Municipal Theatre, Nicosia, on 12 May
2011 at Markideion Theatre, Paphos, and on 13
May 2011 at Larnaca Municipal Theatre.
The Musicians
Conductor Nikos Christodoulou (b.1959) is among
the most active and internationally acclaimed Greek
musicians. He studied in Athens, composition with
Y. A. Papaioannou and piano with Y. Platonas. He
continued with postgraduate studies in composition
at the Hochschule für Musik München and in orchestral
conducting at the Royal College of Music,
London, with scholarships from the Onasis Foundation
and the Athens Academy. After receiving a
Fulbright Artists Award he worked as assistant conductor
to Sir Charles Mackerras at the Metropolitan
Opera New York; he also studied ancient Greek literature
at Athens University.
Christodoulou has composed orchestral, chamber
and choral works, as well as songs and incidental
music, and he has received commissions from
several institutions and festivals. He has conducted
many European orchestras, including the BBC
Symphony Orchestra, the Academy of St Martin
in the Fields, the Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester, the
Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the Bucharest Radio
Symphony Orchestra, the Armenian Philharmonic
Orchestra, the Yerevan Symphony Orchestra and
the Bolshoi Opera. He regularly works with all
Greek orchestras; he has been Music Director of
the Greek National Radio Symphony Orchestra
and the City of Athens Symphony Orchestra and
Choir. He was the founder and Music Director of
Euro Youth Philharmonic, the first pan-European
orchestra, resident in Delphi.
Mr Christodoulou led the “Nikos Skalkottas Tage”
Festival at Konzerthaus Berlin with the Berlin
Symphony Orchestra in 2000. He has conducted
several premieres of new works, such as the world
premiere of the opera “The Possessed” by Haris
Vrontos at the Greek National Opera in 2001. In
2005 he was appointed as “H.C. Andersen Ambassador”
by the Danish State for the Andersen anni-

Menelaos Menelaou Nikos Christodoulou
versary year. In 2008 he opened the annual “Greek
Music Feast” Festival at the Athens Concert Hall.
In 2009 he appeared in the same hall as conductor
and composer for the “Music explorations” series
of the Camerata Orchestra. He was Artistic Director
of the “Chopin Homage” Festival in Athens,
Korydallos, for the Chopin Year 2010.
Menelaos Menelaou was born in Nicosia in 1971
and brought up in a musical environment. He began
violin studies with his father, G. Menelaou,
at the “Odeon Lefkosias”. By the age of thirteen
he had given two solo recitals under the auspices
of the Municipality of Nicosia. In 1985, at the age
of fourteen, he was admitted to the Central Music
School of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow
to study violin under Professor Sementsov-
Ogievski and later under Professor Zoha Machtina.
He graduated in 1991 with the title of “Orchestral
Soloist”. That same year he was admitted to the
Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, where he
studied the violin under Professor Gregory Feigin.
He graduated in 1996 with a Master of Fine Arts
degree with honours. He continued his studies at
the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in a postgraduate
course supervised by Professor Zorja Shichmurzaeva,
graduating in 2000. During his studies he performed
in many concerts and solo recitals in Russia,
Cyprus, Greece and Czechoslovakia; he also
recorded for the radio and television in Cyprus. His
most significant appearances include the BHS International
Musical Festival in Bratislava in 1992
and concerts in collaboration with the Janacek
Symphony Orchestra of Ostrava under the baton of
the American conductor Denis Burch.
Since 2000 he lives and works in Cyprus. He regularly
gives solo recitals and appears in chamber
music concerts with various ensembles. From 2001
to 2003 he was a member of the Cyprus State Orchestra
in the first violins section. Significant appearances
include his participation at the Larnaka
Classical Music Festival and at the 1st and 3rd Ledra
Music Soloists International Chamber Music
Festival. In addition to performing, he teaches the
violin at “Odeon Leukosias”, at the Strings Workshop
of the Ministry of Education and Culture and
at the European University Cyprus.
47

48
Romantic Music
Romantic music, or music in the Romantic Period,
is a musicological and artistic term referring
to a particular period, theory, compositional
practice and canon in Western music history,
from about 1830 to 1910.
Romantic music as a movement evolved from
the formats, genres and musical ideas established
in earlier periods, such as the classical
period, and went further in the name of expression
and in the syncretism of different art-forms
with music. Romanticism does not necessarily
refer to romantic love, though that theme was
prevalent in many works composed during this
period in literature, painting and music. Romanticism
followed a path that led to the expansion
of formal structures for a composition set
down (or created) in general outlines in earlier
periods; the end-result is the pieces are “understood”
to be more passionate and expressive,
both by 19th century audiences and today’s.
Because of the expansion of form (those elements
pertaining to form, key, instrumentation
and the like) within a typical composition, and
the growing idiosyncrasies and expressivity of
the new composers in a new century, it became
easier to identify an artist based on his work or
style.
Romantic music increased emotional expression
and power to describe deeper truths or human
feelings, while preserving (and in many
cases extending) the formal structures of the
classical period; romantic music also created
new forms that were deemed better suited to the
new subject matter. The subject matter of the
new music was now no longer purely abstract;
it was frequently drawn from other sources
such as literature, history (historical figures) or
nature itself.
(a) Musical Language
Composers in the Romantic period sought to
fuse the large structural harmonic planning demonstrated
by earlier masters, such as Haydn and
Mozart, with further chromatic innovations, in
order to achieve greater fluidity and contrast, and
Franz Liszt
to meet the needs of longer works and to serve
the expression that struggled to emerge during
this new era. Chromaticism grew more varied,
as did dissonances and their resolution. Composers
modulated to increasingly remote keys, and
their music often prepared the listener less for
these modulations than the music of the classical
era had. The properties of the diminished 7th
and related chords, which facilitate modulation
to many keys, were also extensively exploited.
Composers such as Beethoven, and later Richard
Wagner, expanded the harmonic language with
previously-unused chords, or with innovative
chord progressions.
Some composers analogized music to poetry
and its rhapsodic and narrative structures, creating
a more systematic basis for the composing
and performing of concert music. There
was an increased focus on melody and theme,
as well as an explosion in the composition of
songs, lieder in particular.
The greater harmonic elusiveness and fluidity,
the longer melodies, poesis as the basis

of expression, and the use of literary inspirations
were all present prior to this period.
However, some composers of the Romantic
period adopted them as the central pursuit itself.
Composers were also influenced by technological
advances, including an increase in
the range and power of the piano and the improved
chromatic abilities and greater projection
of the symphony orchestra.
(b) Non-musical Influences
During the 1830s, Hector Berlioz’s “Symphonie
Fantastique”, which was presented with an
extensive printed program, caused many critics
and academics to rise against the new music;
against Romanticism, in fact, which had been a
rising wave of artistic expression since the beginning
of the century.
Examples of music inspired by literary/artistic
sources include Liszt’s “Faust Symphony”,
“Dante Symphony”, his symphonic poems and
his “Années de Pelerinage”; Tchaikovsky’s
“Manfred Symphony”; Mahler’s “First Symphony”,
the piano cycles of Robert Schumann,
and the tone poems of Richard Strauss. Schubert
included material from his lieder in some
of his extended works, and others, such as
Liszt, transcribed opera arias and songs for solo
instrumental performance.
New ideas, attitudes, discoveries, inventions
and events always affect music. For example,
the Industrial Revolution was in full effect by
the late 18th century and early 19th century.
This had a very profound effect on music:
there were major improvements in mechanical
valves, and in the keys on which most woodwinds
and brass instruments depend. The new
and innovative instruments could be played
with more ease, and they were more reliable.
These new instruments often had a bigger, fuller,
better-tuned sound. Orchestras grew larger
from the days of Beethoven onwards, and were
on their way to becoming professional.
Another development that had an effect on music
was the rise of the middle class. Composers
before this period lived on the patronage of
the aristocracy. Many times their audience was
small, composed mostly of members of the upper
class and individuals who were knowledgeable
about music. The Romantic composers, on
the other hand, often wrote for public concerts
and festivals, with large audiences of paying
customers who had not necessarily had any music
lessons. Composers of the Romantic Era, like
Elgar, showed the world that there should be “no
segregation of musical tastes” and that the “purpose
was to write music that was to be heard.”
(c) 19th-century Opera
In opera, the forms previously established for
individual numbers in classical and baroque
opera were used more loosely. By the time
Wagner’s operas were performed, arias, choruses,
recitatives and ensemble pieces were
often indistinguishable from each other in the
continuous, through-composed work.
Towards the end of the Romantic period, verismo
opera became popular, particularly in Italy.
It depicted realistic –rather than historical or
mythological– subjects.
(d) The Main Characteristics of Romantic Music
▪ A freedom in form and design; a more
intense personal expression of emotion in
which fantasy, imagination and a quest for
adventure play an important part.
▪ Emphasis on lyrical, song-like melodies;
adventurous modulation; richer harmonies,
often chromatic, with striking use of discords.
▪ Greater sense of ambiguity especially in
tonality or harmonic function, but also in
rhythm or meter.
▪ Denser, weightier textures with bold dramatic
contrasts, exploring a wider range of
pitch, dynamics and tone-colours.
▪ Expansion of the orchestra, sometimes
to gigantic proportions; the invention of
the valve system results in a brass section
whose weight and power often dominate
the texture.
49

▪ Rich variety of types of piece, ranging
from songs and fairly short piano pieces to
huge musical canvasses with lengthy timespan
structures and spectacular, dramatic,
and dynamic climaxes.
▪ Closer links with other arts lead to a
keener interest in programme music (programme
symphony, symphonic poem, concert
overture).
▪ Shape and unity brought to lengthy works
by use of recurring themes (sometimes
transformed/developed): idée fixe (Berlioz),
thematic transformations (Liszt),
Leitmotif (Wagner), motto theme.
▪ Greater technical virtuosity, especially
from pianists, violinists and flautists.
(e) Early Romantic (1800-1850)
Beethoven’s First Symphony and his fourth
piano sonata, both published in the early 19th
century, marked the definite beginning of a new
wave of music that would continue for at least
a century. Beethoven’s impact influenced and
inspired composers in following generations,
including his fellow Vienna citizens Schubert,
Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Bruckner, Liszt and
Wagner.
By the second decade of the 19th century, the
shift towards new sources of musical inspiration,
along with an increasing chromaticism in
melody and more expressive harmony, became
a palpable stylistic shift. A new generation of
composers emerged in post-Napoleonic Europe,
among them Beethoven, Ludwig Spohr,
E.T.A. Hoffmann, Carl Maria von Weber and
Franz Schubert.
These composers grew up amidst the dramatic
expansion of public concert life during the late
18th century and early 19th century; this partly
shaped their subsequent styles and expectations.
Works from this group of early Romantics include
the song cycles and later symphonies
of Franz Schubert and the operas of Weber,
particularly “Oberon”, “Der Freischütz” and
50
“Euryanthe”. Schubert’s work found limited
contemporary audiences, but his impact gradually
increased over time.
Early Romantic composers of a slightly later
generation included Franz Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn,
Frédéric Chopin and Hector Berlioz.
All were born in the 19th century and
produced works of lasting value early in their
careers. Mendelssohn was particularly precocious
writing two string quartets, a string octet,
and orchestral music before even leaving his
teens. Chopin was similarly precocious, writing
his famous “Op. 10 Études” while still a
teen (although he focused on compositions for
the piano). Berlioz broke new ground in his
orchestration, and with his programmatic symphonies
“Symphonie Fantastique” and “Harold
in Italy”, the latter based on Byron’s “Childe
Harold’s Pilgrimage”.
What is now labelled “Romantic Opera” became
established at around this time, with a
strong connection between Paris and northern
Italy. The work of Bellini and Donizetti was
immensely popular at this time.
Virtuoso concerts remained as popular as they
were a century earlier and became more “democratic.”
The virtuoso piano recital became particularly
popular. Often it included improvisations
on popular themes, shorter compositions,
and the performance of longer works, such as
the sonatas of Beethoven and Mozart.
The increase in travel, facilitated by rail and
later by steamship, created international audiences
for touring virtuosi such as Paganini,
Liszt, Chopin and Thalberg. Concerts and recitals
were promoted as significant events. Instruments
other than the violin and the piano, such
as the harp, gained in popularity.
The music of Robert Schumann, Giacomo
Meyerbeer and the young Giuseppe Verdi
continued the trends of the romantic period.
“Romanticism” was not, however, the only or
even the dominant style of music at the time.
A post-classical style, as well as court music,
still dominated concert programs. This began to

Gustav Mahler Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
change with the rise of performing institutions,
such as the Philharmonic Society of London,
which was founded in 1813. Such institutions
often promoted regular concert seasons, a trend
promoted by Felix Mendelssohn, among others.
Listening to music came to be accepted as
a life-enhancing, almost religious, experience.
Also in the 1830s and 1840s, Richard Wagner
produced his first successful operas. Selfdescribed
as a revolutionary and in constant
trouble with creditors and the authorities, Wagner
began gathering around him a body of likeminded
musicians, including Franz Liszt, who
dedicated themselves to making the “Music of
the Future.”
The first stage of Romanticism in music ended
in 1848, with the revolutions of that year marking
a turning point in the mood of Europe and
its artists.
(f) Late Romantic Era (1850-1900)
As the 19th century moved into its second half,
many social, political and economic changes
set in motion during the post-Napoleonic period
became entrenched. Railways and the
electric telegraph bound Europe ever closer
together. The dramatic increase in musical education
created a wider, sophisticated audience,
and many composers took advantage of the
greater regularity of concert life and the greater
financial and technical resources it made available.
These changes brought an expansion in
the sheer number of symphonies, concertos and
“tone poems” which were composed, and in the
number of performances during the opera seasons
in Paris, London and Italy.
During this period, some composers developed
styles and forms associated with their national
folk cultures. The notion that there were “German”
and “Italian” styles had long been established
in writing on music, but the late 19th
century saw the rise of a nationalist Russian
style (Glinka, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov,
Tchaikovsky and Borodin), as well as Czech,
51

Finnish and French. Some composers sought to
rediscover their country’s national identity in the
face of occupation or oppression, particularly
the Bohemians Bedřich Smetana and Antonín
Dvořák and the Finn Jean Sibelius. Johannes
Brahms used an advanced form of Beethoven’s
motivic development that accommodated not
only the formal frameworks of the Baroque era,
but also a rich and expressive vocabulary that
emphasised arpeggiation, rhythmic obfuscation,
and advanced harmonies – it was rivaled only
by Wagner.
Sources
• Schmidt-Jones, Catherine, and Russell
Jones: “Introduction to Music Theory”.
Houston, TX: Connexions Project, 2004.
• Young, Percy Marshall: “A History of British
Music”. London: Benn, 1967.
Neoclassic music
Neoclassicism in music was a twentieth-century
trend, particularly current in the period between
the two World Wars. Neoclassicist composers
sought to return to aesthetic precepts associated
with the broadly defined concept of “classicism”,
namely order, balance, clarity, economy
and emotional restraint. As such, neoclassicism
was a reaction against the unrestrained emotionalism
and perceived formlessness of late
romanticism, as well as a “call to order” after
the experimental ferment of the first two decades
of the twentieth century. The neoclassical
impulse found its expression in such features
as the use of pared-down performing forces, an
emphasis on rhythm and on contrapuntal texture,
an updated or expanded tonal harmony,
and a concentration on absolute music (as opposed
to Romantic programme music). In form
and thematic technique, neoclassical music
often drew inspiration from music of the 18th
century, though the inspiring canon belonged
as frequently to the Baroque and even earlier
periods as it did to the Classical period – for
52
this reason, music which draws inspiration specifically
from the Baroque is sometimes termed
“Neo-Baroque music”. Neoclassicism had two
distinct national lines of development, French
(proceeding from the influence of Erik Satie
and represented by Igor Stravinsky) and German
(proceeding from the “New Objectivism”
of Ferruccio Busoni and represented by Paul
Hindemith). Neoclassicism was an aesthetic
trend rather than an organized movement, and
many composers not usually thought of as “neoclassicists”
absorbed some of its elements.
People and works: Sergei Prokofiev’s “Symphony
No. 1” (1917) is sometimes cited as a
precursor of neoclassicism, but Prokofiev himself
thought his composition was a “passing
phase”; Stravinsky’s neoclassicism was, by the
1920s, “becoming the basic line of his music.”
Igor Stravinsky’s first foray into neoclassicism
began in 1919-20 when he composed the
ballet, “Pulcinella”, using themes he believed
were from Giovanni Pergolesi (it later emerged
that many of them were not, though they were
from Pergolesi’s contemporaries). Later examples
are the “Octet for Winds”, the “Dumbarton
Oaks” concerto, “Symphony in C”, and “Symphony
in Three Movements”, as well as the
ballet “Apollo and Orpheus”, whose neoclassicism
took on an explicitly “classical Grecian”
aura. Stravinsky’s neoclassicism culminated in
his opera “The Rake’s Progress”, with a libretto
by W. H. Auden. Stravinskian neoclassicism
was later taken up by Darius Milhaud, his contemporary
Francis Poulenc, and by Bohuslav
Martinů, who revived the Baroque concerto
grosso form.
Paul Hindemith developed a German strain of
neoclassicism. He produced chamber music,
orchestral works, and operas in a heavily contrapuntal,
chromatically inflected style best exemplified
by “Mathis der Maler”. Roman Vlad
has contrasted the “classicism” of Stravinsky,
most salient in the external forms and patterns
of his works, with the “classicality” of Busoni.
Busoni wrote in a letter to Paul Bekker, “By

Sergei Prokofiev
‘Young Classicalism’ I mean the mastery, the
sifting and the turning to account of all the
gains of previous experiments and their inclusion
in strong and beautiful forms.”
Neoclassicism found a welcome audience in
America, as the school of Nadia Boulanger
promulgated ideas about music based on her
understanding of Stravinsky’s music. Boulanger’s
American students included Elliott Carter,
Aaron Copland, Roy Harris, Darius Milhaud,
Ástor Piazzolla and Virgil Thomson.
Even the atonal school, represented by Arnold
Schoenberg, showed the influence of neoclassical
ideas. Arnold Schoenberg’s works after
1920, beginning with opp. 23, 24 and 25 (all
composed at the same time), have been described
as “openly neoclassical”; they represent
an effort to integrate the advances of 1908-1913
with the inheritance of the 18th and 19th centuries.
In these works, Schoenberg offered lis-
teners structural points of reference with which
they could identify, beginning with the “Serenade”,
op. 24, and the “Suite for Piano”, op.
25. Schoenberg’s pupil, Alban Berg, actually
came to neoclassicism before his teacher, in his
“Three Pieces for Orchestra”, op. 6 (1913-14),
and the opera “Wozzeck”, which uses closed
forms such as suite, passacaglia and rondo as
organizing principles within each scene. Anton
Webern also achieved a sort of neoclassical
style through an intense concentration on the
motif.
A list of neoclassical composers would also include
David Diamond, Cecil Effinger, George
Enescu, Irving Fine, Jean Françaix, Pierre
Gabaye, Camargo Guarnieri, Arthur Honegger,
Dmitri Kabalevsky, Ernst Krenek, George Loyd,
Maurice Ravel, Albert Roussel, Ahmed Adnan
Saygun and Heitor Villa-Lobos.
53

54
“Images and Views of Alternative Cinema”
Τhe Festival “Images and Views of Alternative
Cinema”, an initiative of the Ministry
of Education and Theatre Ena (in collaboration
with Brave New Culture) which began ten
years ago, returned this year –in its ceremonial
edition– in an endeavour to promote the inherent
multiformity of cinematographic language.
Beyond screening unique and rare films from
the international vanguard, the Festival also
hosted a discussion forum through running
lectures and parallel events with visual installations.
It is an ideal environment for professionals,
critics and cinema theorists, as well as for
visual artists and filmgoers.
The Festival took place from 15 to 22 June at its
established space, the “Other Space” of Theatre
Ena in the old city of Nicosia.
As in previous years, the Festival’s programme
was best characterised by its multifarious
synthesis: viewers were introduced
to works by creators of the 7th Art, to artistic
movements and cinematographic styles
that explore the aesthetic and formal possibilities
of cinema experimentalism, to social
and existential problems and the discussion
of academic cinematographic writing.
This year’s Festival comprised the following
programmes:
Bill Viola: Time, Light, Being
Bill Viola is a prominent personality in the
world of video art. His world-renowned
works are an amalgamation of the allegoric
and the skilful use of technology. Viola navigates
both temporal and visual systems of
video art to examine our modes of perception
and learning; his ultimate documentation
is a symbolic introspection. The ceremonial
character of his explorations, through visual
and acoustic phenomena, oscillate between
illusion and reality, poetically dissolving into
illusionary transcendence. His works have
been screened and presented at some of the
world’s most significant museums and galleries
of contemporary art.
Nico Papatakis or Cinema Considered as the
Most Subversive Art
The Festival presented four films by one of
the greatest “unknown” directors of Greek
and international cinema, Nico Papatakis. Papatakis
is unfamiliar to a wide audience due
to his distance from the marketing system and
his audacious reluctance to conform to any
national, political and social conventions or
artistic norms. The world of Nico Papatakis is
completely personal and peculiar. Through the

screening of these four films, the Cypriot audience
had a chance to travel with this solitary
man from the Greek diaspora into a world of
subversive liveliness, both cinematographic
and social. Some of Papatakis’s collaborators
include Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir,
Jean Cocteau and Jean Genet, with whom
he worked on the adaptation of “Les Equilibristes”
[“Walking a Tightrope”]. His wife
was the famous actress Anouk Aimee. Federico
Rossi, the film critic and Papatakis’s close
friend, was present at the Festival.
The Bene-Factor: Honouring the Cinema of
Carmelo Bene
The Festival audience also had the opportunity
to encounter the radical filmic universe of leading
cinematographer Carmelo Bene. Any screenings
of films by the famously subversive Italian
iconoclast are, in global terms, a true rarity. Bene
is an emblematic and provocative figure in Italian
experimental theatre, as well as a member of
the cinematic avant-garde. Pasolini, with whom
he worked on “Oedipus Rex” (1967), praised
his work as “autonomous and authentic, the sole
noteworthy work in an overall vapid experimental
theatrical scene.” In the 7th Art, through the
basic means of interpretations that approximate
a baroque style and the non-naturalistic use of
sound and music, Bene achieved the highest
expression of freedom. He describes his films
as “music for the eyes” with “surgical, undisciplined
montage.”
David Lynch: Then & Now
Considered one of the leaders of avant-garde
cinema, David Lynch is known for his obsessions
and for the particularity that informs his
shooting style. He became famous through his
films’ distinctive narratives and for his surreal
takes which, equipped with myriad symbols,
succeed at equating dreams with nightmares.
Characteristically Lynch refuses to explain
his work – his artistic ambition relies on the
viewer’s interpretation. His short films, his
first steps in cinema, date from his years in
college studying visual arts in Philadelphia,
and he continued making shorts even after his
longer films gained recognition. It was these
shorts that were screened at the Festival. The
programme also included a series of contemporary
short films by Lynch, shot with digital
camera and whose distribution was restricted
to online users of a space created by Lynch
for subscribers. The audience had the opportunity
to watch the famous director’s underrated
“Then and Now”.
George Melies: The Magical Origins of Film
The Festival presented a short tribute to the
great French cinematographer, George Melies,
who introduced a series of technical innovations
to cinema. Melies is considered one of the
first directors in the history of cinema whose
contribution was formative in its development
from technique to art form.
IN/FLUX: Media Trips from the African
World
This portion of the programme featured experimental
films and video. Violence and pleasure,
contradictions, fear and desire, a planet being
shaped by post-colonialism, the present and the
future of humanitarianism, globalised systems,
one constantly undergoing radical mutation...
These themes are the focus of IN/FLUX, whose
creators, all from Africa and its diaspora communities,
refuse to submit to convenient approaches
and answers.
***
Short lectures/introductions from cinema experts
introduced the screenings, and visual artists
were invited to alter the venue with their
artworks prior to the commencement of the
Festival.
55

Τhe Friends of Cinema Society organised the
Spanish Film Festival 2011, which took place
from 20 May to 6 June with the support of the
Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and
Culture and the Embassy of Spain. The films were
screened at the Cine Studio (University of Nicosia).
“Thirteen Roses” (2007, 100΄)
Director: Emilio Martinez Làzaro. Actors:
Pilar Lopez de Ayala, Veronica Sànchez,
56
Spanish Film Festival 2011
Gabriella Pession.
Α true story of thirteen
young women
who endured harsh
interrogation and
were inprisoned
under false charges
of helping the rebellion against Franco in
the 1940s. Despite their innocence, the thirteen
were executed without even a trace of
evidence.

“The Other Side of the Bed” (2002, 114΄)
Director: Emilio Martinez Làzaro. Actors:
Ernesto Alterio, Paz Vega, Guillermo Toledo.
Pedro tries to convince
his girlfriend
Paula that her desire
to leave him is
just a phase. Paula
is apologetic, but
there is no going
back: she has fallen in love with someone else.
Stunned and despondent, Pedro seeks comfort
from his friends, Javier and his girlfriend, Sonia.
What Pedro doesn’t know is Paula’s new
man is none other than Javier, his best buddy.
A raucous and sexy romantic comedy with a
musical twist.
“Camino” (2008, 143΄)
Director: Javier Fesser. Actors: Nerea Camacho,
Carme Elias, Mariano Venancio.
Camino is a pretty,
vibrant 11-yearold
growing up in
a staunchly Catholic
household; her
family are members
of the rigidly prescriptive
Catholic lay organisation Opus Dei.
From the beginning we see Camino suffering
from sudden, unexplained neck pain, yet she
remains a bright light that manages to shine
though every one of the dark doors that tries
to close on her desire to live, love and seek
ultimate happiness.
“Crossing the Borders” (2006, 102΄)
Director: Carlos Iglesias. Actors: Javier Gutierrez,
Carlos Iglesias, Nieve De Medina.
Spain, 1960. Two friends, Martin and Marcos,
decide to leave Spain and look for jobs in
Switzerland. They will have to adapt to a very
different way of life there, working as me-
chanics at a factory
and living in a small
industrial town. The
arrival of Martin’s
wife, Pilar, and son
Pablo, and Marcos’s
girlfriend, Maria del Carmen, marks the end of
their bachelor life. When Martin’s father dies,
they realise it’s time to return to Spain. Much
to their surprise, going home is much harder
than it was leaving.
“Seven Billiard Tables” (2007, 113΄)
Director: Gracia Querejeta. Actors: Maribel
Verdù, Blanca Portillo, Jesùs Castejon.
Angela and her son,
Guille, travel to the
big city to see her
father, Leo, when he
suddenly takes ill.
When they arrive,
Angela and Guille
discover that Leo has just passed away. Charo,
Leo’s mistress, tells Angela about the problems
that plagued Leo’s business, a hall with
seven billiard tables. After Angela learns her
husband has disappeared in mysterious circumstances,
she decides to put her savings
into getting the old place and its seven billiard
tables back on its feet.
“The Secret Life of Words” (2005, 110΄)
Director: Isabel Coixet. Actors: Sarah Polley,
Tim Robbins and
Sverre Anker Ousdal.
Hanna, a hearing impaired
factory worker,
goes on her first
holiday in years. She
visits the cold, rocky
coast of Ireland and, after overhearing a conversation
in a restaurant, offers her professional
services as a nurse to Josef, an injured man who
is stranded on an oil rig.
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The International Film Festival “Cyprus Film
Days” is the official international film festival
of Cyprus. It is co-organised by the Ministry
of Education and Culture of the Republic of Cyprus
and the Rialto Theatre, Limassol.
The selection of films and the programme of
screenings and parallel events is undertaken by a
three-member Artistic Committee appointed by
the Ministry of Education and Culture and the
Rialto Theatre.
The Festival’s main objectives are to contribute
to the development, promotion and mobility of
the art of film making in Cyprus and the wider
area; to screen the work of film makers from
across the world and introduce their work to the
Cypriot public; to serve as a hub for films from
the country’s three neighbouring continents,
Europe, Asia and Africa.
For 2011, the Festival – held from 8 to 17
April at the Rialto Theatre and at the Pantheon
Art Cinema in Nicosia – included the
sections below:
“Glocal Images” – International
Competition Section
Nine feature-length films were entered in
this section. Films originating from the
neighbouring continents of Cyprus and other
parts of the world were chosen by the Artistic
Committee, with an emphasis on films that promote
cinema as an art form and as a tool for
inter-cultural dialogue. “Glocal Images” sought
to attract films highlighting the diverse “colours”
of local film making in their countries of
origin and drawing on themes and styles from
contemporary international film making. Each
film in this section was screened once at each
venue.
“Cyprus Film Days 2011”
“Floating Things” (90΄/ Romania, 2009)
Director: Mircea Daneliuc
Synopsis: Avram notices Italians pay good money
for trained dogs, and he starts a dog training business
that makes him a legitimate immigrant. This
is his big idea. When he returns to Romania, he
starts to breed guard dogs for export to Italy. But
his new neighbours are Romanians who were
expelled from Rome. And so the Italian conflict
moves to the shores of the Danube. His life becomes
more complicated when he involves himself
in a romance with his daughter in law…
“Inside America” (107΄/ Austria, 2010)
Director: Barbara Eder
Synopsis: “Inside America” is a blunt view into
America’s soul, which is found somewhere between
plasma TVs and food stamps. The film
is a portrait of six high school kids in a small
border town in Texas. Cocaine-addicted cheerleaders,
patriotic ROTC-students, gang members
and Mexican girls in search of husbands all
collide in this story. Interestingly enough, they
have a lot in common. Together they swear on
the American flag, dream of white picket fences
and fancy cars, but when each school day ends,
reality strikes them like an incurable disease.
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“The Knifer” (108΄/ Greece, 2009)
Director: Yiannis Economides
Synopsis: Nick is spending his days lazily in
a provincial town, with no future. After his father’s
death, his uncle, Alekos, prompts him
to leave town and come to Athens with him.
Alekos offers him food, accommodation and
an easy job. Nick accepts, only to be suddenly
involved in a strange, in-house job. Isolated in
a “grey” Athenian suburb, alone with his uncle
and aunt, the balance between them starts
to shift...
“Mother of Asphalt” (107΄/ Croatia, 2010)
Director: Dalibor Matanic
Synopsis: “Mother of Asphalt” is a story about
the disintegration and restoration of a young
family in Zagreb. Their lives entwine with a
lonely young man who desperately craves human
contact, a by-product of modern society.
The film was awarded the Best Script Award at
Balkan Film Fund (Thessaloniki Film Festival,
2009), and the Award for Best Actress to Marija
Skaricic (Pula Film Festival – Croatia, 2010). At
the 24th International Festival of Audiovisual
Programmes (FIPA), “Mother of Asphalt” won
the FIPA D’OR Grand Prize, the FIPA D’OR
Grand Prize for Best Actress (Marija Skaricici),
and the FIPA D’OR Grand Prize for Best Original
Soundtrack (Biarritz, 2011).
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“La Nostra Vita” [“Our Life”] (98΄/ Italy,
France, 2010)
Director: Daniele Luchetti
Synopsis: Claudio works on a site in the suburbs
of Rome. He is madly in love with his wife
who is pregnant with their third child. However,
a dramatic event upsets this simple and happy
life. Enraged with life, Claudio seeks to numb
his pain by working hard on a risky construction
project that threatens to endanger his family’s
future.
The film was awarded the Best Actor Award (ex
aequo with Javier Bardem), to Elio Germano
(Cannes Film Festival, 2010).
“Shelter” (88΄/ Bulgaria, 2010)
Director: Dragomir Sholev
Synopsis: While they have been busy switching
TV channels, making pickles or discussing
politics, the parents of 12-year-old Rado have
failed to notice their son has grown up. They
cannot understand why, after disappearing for
two days, he isn’t sorry for the anguish he has
caused them and why he’s ready to run away
from home with the first group of junkies he
meets on the street.
The film was awarded the Grand Prix for Best
Film, the Kodak Award for Best Bulgarian Feature
Film and the Audience Award (Sofia Int’l
Film Festival 2011).

“Tilt” (97΄/ Bulgaria, 2010)
Director: Viktor Chouchkov Jr
Synopsis: In the early 1990s, four friends are trying
to make money by opening their own bar,
“Tilt”. A chance meeting between Stash and
Becky leads to a passionate love affair. Suddenly,
the friends are caught illegally distributing porn
films. Becky’s father, a police detective, takes
charge of the case and threatens them with prison,
unless Stash and Becky stop seeing each other.
The gang decides to run away to a small German
village where they find themselves involved in a
series of funny and absurd situations.
The film was awarded the Special Jury Award, the
Best Actor Award (ex aequo) to Yavor Baharov
and the Best Supporting Role to Ovares Torosyan
(Golden Rose Film Festival – Bulgaria, 2010).
“Tuesday, After Christmas” (100΄/ Romania,
2010)
Director: Radu Muntean
Synopsis: The easy, playful romance enjoyed
by Paul and Raluca seems idyllic, but it faces
one major obstacle: Paul is married. A chance
encounter between Paul’s wife and Raluca ignites
suspicions and recriminations, and the
incendiary secret is inexorably drawn into the
spotlight. Unfolding in exquisitely observed
detail, “Tuesday, After Christmas” continues
the tradition of taut, subtle drama that has become
the hallmark of contemporary Romanian
cinema.
The film was awarded the Award for Best Actress ex
aequo to Mirela Oprisor and Maria Popistasu (Mar
del Plata Film Festival – Argentina, 2011).
“Zone of Turbulance” (80΄/ Russia, 2010)
Director: Evgenia Tirdativa
Synopsis: The film is about three days in the life
of an ordinary working woman living in today’s
Moscow with her adult son and her grandson. She
and her son meet the boy for the first time five
years after his birth.
“Viewfinder” – A Close-up of
Contemporary International Cinema
Eight feature-length films were selected for
this section. These films which had been
screened at major international film festivals during
the festival year and were selected by the Artistic
Committee.
“Bal” [“Honey”] (103΄/ Turkey, Germany, 2010)
Director: Semih Kaplanoglou
Synopsis: The film depicts the life of sensitive
young Yusuf in his first year of school in an isolated
mountain area. For the young boy, the surrounding
forest becomes a place of mystery and adventure
when he accompanies his beekeeper father to
work. Yusuf watches in admiration as his father
Yakup hangs specially-made hives at the top of the
tallest trees. When his father must travel to a faraway
forest on a risky mission and doesn’t return
after several days, young Yusuf summons all of his
courage and goes deep into the forest to search for
his father. A journey into the unknown...
The film was awarded the Golden Berlin Bear
Award, the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury (Berlin International
Film Festival 2010), and the UNESCO
Award (Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2010).
“Tears” (111΄/ Taiwan, 2009)
Director: Cheng Wen-tang
Synopsis: Just days before his sixtieth birthday,
veteran Detective Kuo receives a new assignment
involving the drug overdose and death of
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a young girl. Departmental superiors see it as
a textbook crime and urge him to conclude the
case, but experience and sense tell Kuo otherwise.
Thorough investigation leads him to a
lively college girl, Lai Chun Chun, whose young
and innocent appearance is shadowed by an
indispensable grudge. Kuo’s uncompromising
principles and his refusal to close the case turn
him into an outcast, isolated from his colleagues
and family. He realises he has one last chance
to impose justice and find his own redemption.
While the film reveals the paradoxes in the everyday
lives of policemen, it also examines police
violence, highlighting the burdens we often carry
after making rash decisions whose outcomes
we can never change.
“Submarino” (110΄/ Denmark, 2009)
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Synopsis: “Submarino” is the story of two estranged
brothers, marked by a childhood of
gloom. They were separated from each other at
a young age by a tragedy that split their entire
family. Today, Nick’s life is drenched in alcohol
and plagued by violence, while his kid brother,
a single father, is a junkie struggling to give his
son a better life. Their paths cross, making a
confrontation inevitable. The stories of the two
brothers are intimately observed and undeniably
harrowing – this is an unflinching look at cycles
of neglect and addiction handed down through
generations.
The film was awarded the Film Prize for Best
Director, Script Writer and Producer (Nordic
Council Awards, 2010).
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“Attenberg” (95΄/ Greece, 2010)
Director: Athina Rachel Tsangari
Synopsis: Marina, 23, is growing up with her architect
father in a prototype factory town by the sea.
Finding people strange and repellent, she keeps her
distance, choosing instead the songs of Suicide, the
mammal documentaries of Sir David Attenborough,
and the sex education lessons she receives
from her only friend, Bella. A stranger comes to
town and awakens her sexuality. Her father, meanwhile,
ritualistically prepares for his exit from the
20th century, which he considers “overrated.”
Caught between the two men and Bella, Marina
investigates the wondrous mystery of the human
species. The film embraces the abstract and theatrical
in choreographed interludes, but provides an
essential emotional point of access in the profound
father-daughter bond between Marina and her father.
An unconventional coming-of-age film, “Attenberg”
is the story of a girl-woman who comes
to terms with sex and death as natural parts of life.
The film was awarded the Coppa Volpi Award
for Best Actress to Ariane Labed (Venice Film
Festival, 2010), the Silver Alexander Award
(Thessaloniki Film Festival, 2010) and the New
Voices Feature Award (Whistler Film Festival –
Canada, 2010).
“Heartbeats” (97΄/ Canada, 2010)
Director: Xavier Dolan
Synopsis: Wunderkind film maker Xavier Dolan
returns with his second feature – a sophisticated
comedy about two close friends, Francis and
Marie, who pursue their mutual obsession with a

young man. As they face off in competition, cracks
begin to appear in their friendship with both comic
and tragic results. The film reveals a fundamentally
simple intrigue that careers through a whole gamut
of poetic craziness: passions unleashed, expectations,
sorrow, humiliation and, finally, loneliness.
Part gleaming farce, part tough-minded exploration
of the inherent insanity of love and desire, the
film is all the more remarkable given the young age
of its 21 year old director.
“Loose Cannons” (100΄/ Italy, 2010)
Director: Ferzan Ozpetek
Synopsis: Tommaso, the youngest son of the
well-to-do Cantone family, thinks he has the
perfect way to escape working in his family’s
pasta factory – telling his father he’s gay. Little
does he know that someone else will beat him to
the punch in Ferzan’s Ozpetek’s latest dissection
of family, love, and personal liberation. Though
Nonna, the matriarch of the Cantone clan, advises
her relations to follow their own dreams,
most of them feel beholden to the family’s business
and reputation. Gently satirising this large
bourgeois family while creating a memorable
panoply of characters, Ozpetek has made a film
full of humour and heart.
“October” (83΄/ Peru, 2010)
Director: Daniel Vega, Diego Vega
Synopsis: Money-lender Clemente only knows
how to relate to others through transactions. His
life is turned upside down when someone leaves
him a baby in a basket. A client, Sofia, steps in to
help tend to the baby, and Clemente is faced with
radical changes to his life during the October celebration
of the Lord of Miracles. The Vega brothers
compose a moving and charming film, balancing
themes of loneliness and disconnection with an
absurd comic tone that steers the narrative away
from melodrama. With their wonderful use of religious
symbolism and desperate situations, the Vega
brothers present a fresh vision of their native Lima,
a city that seems to pray, collectively, for new hope.
The film was awarded the Jury Prize “Un Certain
Regard” (Cannes Film Festival 2010).
“Morgen” (100΄/ Romania, France, Hungary, 2010)
Director: Marian Crisan
Synopsis: Nelu works as a supermarket security
guard in a small village on the Romanian-Hungarian
border. One day at the river, Nelu “fishesout”
a Turkish man who is hoping to reach Germany.
The two men are unable to communicate
with words, but Nelu provides the illegal immigrant
with clothes, food, shelter and a far-fetched
promise to help him accomplish his journey. Director
Marian Crisan presents a poetic film about
“an immigration story not from the immigrant’s
point of view but from the point of view of the
people he meets on his way.” Inspired by a news
article on illegal Turkish immigration, the film
demonstrates how borders between people are
just as real as the borders between countries.
The film was awarded the Best Director Award ex
aequo to Andreas Hathazi and Yilmaz Yalcin, the
FIPRESCI Award (Thessaloniki Film Festival,
2010), and the Special Jury and Ecumenical Jury
Award (Locarno Film Festival, 2010).
63

Cyprus Film Days also included special
screenings, thematic sections and tributes
to the work of distinguished film makers from
across the world.
64
Special Screening
“By Miracle” (85΄/ Cyprus, 2010)
Director: Marinos Kartikkis
Synopsis: Aliki and Andreas, a couple in their
thirties, try to have a baby a year after the death
of their four year-old daughter. Marios, a man
in his late twenties living with his mother, Demetra,
tries to satisfy his sexual needs by having
casual encounters with men in a park. Aliki develops
an interest in miracles when she hears
about an icon of the Virgin Mary believed to
weep and perform miracles. Meanwhile, Marios
is getting interested in a young man he meets at
the swimming pool, while Demetra grows ever
more concerned about her son. One day, while
visiting her husband’s grave, Demetra sees Aliki
at her daughter’s grave and is intrigued.
Tribute to Jacques Tati
Jacques Tati (born Jacques Tatischeff, 9 October
1907–5 November 1982) was a French
film maker. He was a comedic actor and director.
After a career as a professional rugby player, Tati
found success as a mime in French music halls.
In the late 1930s, Tati shot some of his early
supporting cameos with some success, but his
career as a film maker would have to wait until
after the Second World War.
Tati retreated to Sainte-Sévère-sur-Indre in 1943
with his friend, the writer Henri Marquet. There
they wrote the script “The School for Postmen”
that would later provide material for his first
feature, “The Big Day”, the film that first demonstrated
Tati’s experimental approach in his
limited use of audible dialogue. Instead of dialogue,
“The Big Day” is built around elaborate,
tightly-choreographed visual gags and carefully
integrated sound effects.
With the exception of his first and last films, Tati
played the gauche and socially inept lead character,
Monsieur Hulot, in all of his films. With his trademark
raincoat, umbrella and pipe, Hulot is among
the most memorable comic characters in cinema.
Several themes recur in Tati’s comedic work, most
notably in “My Uncle”, “Play Time” and “Traffic”.
They include Western society’s obsession with
material goods (particularly American-style consumerism),
the pressure-cooker environment of
modern society, the superficiality of relationships
among France’s various social classes, and the cold
and often impractical nature of space-age technology
and design.
In 1967, Tati made a short film about his comedic
and cinematic technique entitled “Evening
Classes”, and in the 1970s he completed a film
produced for Swedish television, “Parade”. In
1978, he began filming a short documentary on
Bastia, a Corsican soccer team playing in the
UEFA Cup Final, but he did not complete it. Tati
had plans for at least one more film, “Confusion”,
about a futuristic city (Paris) where activity
is centred around television, communication,
advertising, and modern society’s infatuation
with visual imagery. Although Tati finished the
script, “Confusion” has never been filmed.
In a poll conducted by “Entertainment Weekly”,
Tati was voted the 46th greatest movie director
of all time, though he has only six feature-length
films to his credit as director.
“The Illusionist” (80΄/ France, United Kingdom,
2010)
Director: Sylvain Chomet
Synopsis: From the director of “The Triplets of
Belleville” comes a film of grace and unique

eauty. Working from a script written by Tati
for his daughter, Chomet brings his meticulous
brand of hand-drawn animation to this story of
a magician pushed aside by rock and roll who
finds a single young girl who still appreciates
his magic. This bittersweet homage to the fading
music-hall tradition travels from Paris to rural
Scotland and finally to Edinburgh, to show how
magic can flourish in the most unexpected places
and circumstances.
The film was awarded the Best Animated Film
Award (European Film Awards, 2010) and the
Award for Best Animated Film (New York Film
Critics Circle Awards, 2011).
“Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday” (114΄/ France, 1953)
Director: Jacques Tati
Synopsis: “Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday” follows
the misadventures of lovable, gauche Frenchman
Monsieur Hulot as he spends the obligatory
August vacation at a beach resort. The film affectionately
lampoons several hidebound ele-
ments of French political and economic classes;
it also gently mocks the confidence of postwar
western society in the primacy of work over leisure
and the value of complex technology over
simple pleasures. These themes would resurface
in Tati’s later films.
The film was awarded the Louis Delluc Prize
(Louis Delluc Festival – France, 1953). It was
nominated for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay
(Academy Awards, 1956) and for Grand
Prize (Cannes Film Festival 1953).
“My Uncle” (117΄/ France, 1958)
Director: Jacques Tati
Synopsis: “My Uncle” was the first of Tati’s
films to be released in colour. It centres on
the socially awkward yet lovable Monsieur
Hulot and his quixotic struggle with postwar
France’s infatuation with modern architecture,
mechanical efficiency and American-style
consumerism. Hulot is the day-dreaming, impractical
and adored uncle of young Gerard
(nine years old), who lives with his materialistic
parents in an ultra-modern geometric house
and garden (Villa Arpel) in a new suburb of
Paris. Gerard’s parents, M. and Mme. Arpel,
are firmly entrenched in a machine-like existence
of work, fixed gender roles, and the acquisition
of status through the accumulation of
possessions and their conspicuous display.
The film was awarded the Oscar for Best Foreign
Language Film (Academy Awards 1959),
the Jury Special Prize (Cannes Film Festival
1958), the Award for Best Foreign Language
Film (New York Film Critics Circle Awards
1958) and the Critics Award for Best Film
(French Syndicate of Cinema Critics 1959).
“Play Time” (103΄/ France, 1967)
Director: Jacques Tati
Synopsis: “Play Time” is Jacques Tati’s fourth
major film and is generally considered his most
daring. In “Play Time”, Tati again plays Monsieur
Hulot. Hulot has to contact an American
official in Paris, but he gets lost in the maze of
modern architecture filled with the latest technical
gadgets. Caught in the tourist invasion, Hulot
roams around Paris with a group of American
tourists, causing chaos in his usual manner.
The film was awarded the Award for Best European
Film (Bodil Awards – Denmark, 1969).
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66
Re-possessed
All the films in this programme were screened
in their original language with English subtitles
only. “Re-possessed” included the following
films: [a] “Outer Space” by Peter Tscherkassky
(Austria, 10΄); [b] “Requiem” by Hans Christian
Schmid (Hungary, 93΄); [c] “Eyes Wide Open” by
Haim Tabakman (Israel, 96΄); [d] “Fears of the
“Fears of the Dark”
“Passage á l’ Acte”
Dark” by various directors (France, 80΄); [e] “Passage
á l’ Acte” by Martin Arnold (Austria, 12΄); [f]
“White Lightning” by Dominic Murphy (United
Kingdom, 84΄); [g] “Mad Detective” by Johny To
and Ka-Fai Wai (Hong Kong, 89΄).
Parallel events
On 13 April the workshop “Costumes in
Film” by Miranda Theodoridou was held
at the Art Studio 55 in Limassol. The workshop
included period costume presentation and was
co-organised with the Screenplay Workshop of
Adonis Florides. Attendance was free.
From 15 to 17 April the renowned Greek Director
of Photography Yorgos Frentzos presented a
seminar on cinematography at the ARTos Foundation
in Nicosia. The seminar was organised in
collaboration with the Film and Television Directors’
Guild of Cyprus.
CFD 2011 Jury Awards
The three-member Jury of Cyprus Film Days
IFF gave the Best Film Award to “The Knifer”
by Yannis Economides. According to the
Jury: “‘The Knifer’ is a dark, poetic, complex
and original film. Economides’s elaborate framing
results in unforgettable cinematic moments,
with strong performances and a distinctive
visual style. With his uncompromising stylistic
methods, his symbolism and his daring, powerful
story, Economides’s film manages to create a
modern film noir while at the same time stimulating
thought.”
The Special Jury Award went to the film
“Tuesday, After Christmas” by Radu Muntean.
“‘Tuesday, After Christmas’ allows a
viewer to track every flicker of emotion and
“Tuesday, After Christmas”
thought within the inner world of each of its
characters. The film’s style is naturalistic, precise,
delicate, sensitive and modest. It reveals
how often the banality of life is sometimes the
overall truth of human existence. The directing
and the screenplay shape the characters
in such an effective way that the characters
can be described as fine-tuned musical instruments
voicing the perfect sound.”
Finally, the Honorary Distinction Award went
to “Shelter” by Dragomir Sholev. The film “describes
a day in the life of a family falling apart
and deals with the issue of family in a sensitive
and unique way. The script is outstanding,
mature and precise. The realistic directorial approach
is the product of a very talented and very
promising director.”

The House of Educational Programmes of
the Leventis Municipal Museum celebrated
its 5th Anniversary by hosting the exhibition
“Cyprus and Greek Mythology”, an exhibition
of drawings and paintings by the children of the
Marioupolis Art School in Ukraine. The works
depict the current problems Cyprus faces and
express the grief of Cypriot people who were
forced to abandon their houses and land after
the Turkish invasion in 1974.
The exhibition was held for the first time in
Marioupolis in April 2010. The Honorary Consul
of Cyprus in Marioupolis, Professor Constantine
Balabanov, undertook this initiative
in the context of the celebrations for the 50th
“Cyprus and Greek Mythology”
Through the drawings of the children of the
Marioupolis Art School in Ukraine
Anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus. The
exhibition took place at the Marioupolis State
University.
The Leventis Foundation brought the exhibition
to Cyprus. “Cyprus and Greek Mythology”
was inaugurated on 9 May by the Director of
the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education
and Culture, Mr Pavlos Paraskevas. H. E.
the Ambassador of Ukraine in Cyprus, Mr Oleksandr
Demianiuk, and Mrs Aigli Kammitsi,
on behalf of the Nicosia Municipality, also addressed
the event.
The exhibition ran from 9 May until 28 August
2011.
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