Akamas (2006 film)
Encyclopedia
Akamas is a 2006 Cypriot feature film directed by Panicos Chrysanthou about a love affair between a Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot despite their families' opposition and the inter-communal violence of 1960s.
. Rhodou initially falls in love with a Greek fighter but when he gets killed she turns to Omer. Omer becomes an active member of EOKA. In spite of protests from her parents she decides to marry him. Omer and Rhodou escape from their families and friends and attempt a new life together, but this is Cyprus and a marriage between a Muslim man and a Christian woman is not something that local people are prepared to accept.
where he would hear many stories.
area.
Akamas
has many scenic views allowing for superb cinematography.
Akamas
is a symbol for the film; it is a peninsula.
The government did not take direct action to stop the film production but it made it very difficult for its successful completion by withdrawing crucial funds and severely limiting its market potential by making distribution almost impossible and by banning it from Cypriot TV and Cypriot cinemas. Nevertheless Akamas was completed and screened at several film festivals worldwide.
. Akamas won the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival's Orpheus Award. At the Cypriot Film Festival UK the screening of Akamas was the most widely attended event. Simos Panayi, the founder of the Cypriot Film Festival UK, invited Panicos Chrysanthou to give a speech about Akamas and its historical context. The speech was primarily directed at younger British Cypriots, many of whom are born outside of Cyprus.
It was also screened at Thessaloniki Film Festival, The Festival Against Intolerance and Fanaticism, Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, and the New York Turkish Film Festival.
The film received positive statements and reviews from Boyd van Hoeij, Polycarpou, Joseph Proimakis, Alexander Andreou, Oliver Hilt, Ellen Angelopoulos and Simos Panayi. Simos Panayi, the founder of the Cypriot Film Festival UK, said that Akamas was the highlight of the event and invited Panicos Chrysanthou to give a speech about Akamas and its historical context. Boyd van Hoeij, a film critic on Rotten Tomatoes
, says Akamas success lies in its ability to reunite the emotional and the political, the historical and the natural into a familiar cinematic story. Ellen Angelopoulos has suggested that it be re-edited after its festival circuit to accommodate more peaceful messages and be shown in schools as part of history lessons and broadcast on television.
members labeled Panicos Chrysanthou a traitor to Cyprus, claiming that the film was funded with Turkish money and is therefore a Turkish propaganda film. Chrysanthou responded by saying "It belongs to Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, it belongs to peace and humanity."
Dervis Zaim
and Panicos Chrysanthou followed it up with this statement:
One scene of the film portrayed the execution of a Greek Cypriot, inside a church, by a Greek Cypriot. No such event happened outside of the story of this film which resulted in the government of the Republic of Cyprus withdrawing funding promised to the filmmakers.
.
Panicos Chrysanthou was born in Kythrea
.
Summary of plot
The film takes place between the 1950s and 1970s. Turkish Cypriot Omer and Greek Cypriot Rhodou grow up together in AkamasAkamas
Akamas , is a promontory and cape at the northwest extremity of Cyprus with an area of 230 square kilometres. Ptolemy described it as a thickly wooded headland, divided into two by summits [a mountain range] rising towards the north...
. Rhodou initially falls in love with a Greek fighter but when he gets killed she turns to Omer. Omer becomes an active member of EOKA. In spite of protests from her parents she decides to marry him. Omer and Rhodou escape from their families and friends and attempt a new life together, but this is Cyprus and a marriage between a Muslim man and a Christian woman is not something that local people are prepared to accept.
Inspirations
Although the main plot is archetypal, the subplot draws from the directors own life. Panicos' parents owned a coffee shop in KythreaKythrea
Kythrea is a village on the island of Cyprus.Kythrea is situated near the ancient kingdom of Chytroi which was founded by Chytros. Chytroi was one of the ten city-kingdoms of Cyprus in antiquity. According to one tradition the name Kythrea came from Chytroi...
where he would hear many stories.
Location
Most of the film was filmed in the AkamasAkamas
Akamas , is a promontory and cape at the northwest extremity of Cyprus with an area of 230 square kilometres. Ptolemy described it as a thickly wooded headland, divided into two by summits [a mountain range] rising towards the north...
area.
Akamas
Akamas
Akamas , is a promontory and cape at the northwest extremity of Cyprus with an area of 230 square kilometres. Ptolemy described it as a thickly wooded headland, divided into two by summits [a mountain range] rising towards the north...
has many scenic views allowing for superb cinematography.
Akamas
Akamas
Akamas , is a promontory and cape at the northwest extremity of Cyprus with an area of 230 square kilometres. Ptolemy described it as a thickly wooded headland, divided into two by summits [a mountain range] rising towards the north...
is a symbol for the film; it is a peninsula.
Financing
Financing was made available by Turkey, Bulgaria and Cypriot government bodies (the individual production companies were Artimages Ltd, Cyprus - Marathon Filmcilik, Turkey - Creator C, Hungary).Akamas controversy
Many Cypriots living in Cyprus have not seen the film. This is largely due to the Cypriot government's actions, which effectively banned the film in Cyprus (but not in Europe). Although Chrysanthou, several other notable filmmakers and some politicians claim that the government's actions were politically motivated, the government claims that Chrysanthou was in breach of the filmmaking contract.The government did not take direct action to stop the film production but it made it very difficult for its successful completion by withdrawing crucial funds and severely limiting its market potential by making distribution almost impossible and by banning it from Cypriot TV and Cypriot cinemas. Nevertheless Akamas was completed and screened at several film festivals worldwide.
Positive reception
Akamas was the first Cypriot film to be screened at the Venice Film FestivalVenice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
. Akamas won the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival's Orpheus Award. At the Cypriot Film Festival UK the screening of Akamas was the most widely attended event. Simos Panayi, the founder of the Cypriot Film Festival UK, invited Panicos Chrysanthou to give a speech about Akamas and its historical context. The speech was primarily directed at younger British Cypriots, many of whom are born outside of Cyprus.
It was also screened at Thessaloniki Film Festival, The Festival Against Intolerance and Fanaticism, Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, and the New York Turkish Film Festival.
The film received positive statements and reviews from Boyd van Hoeij, Polycarpou, Joseph Proimakis, Alexander Andreou, Oliver Hilt, Ellen Angelopoulos and Simos Panayi. Simos Panayi, the founder of the Cypriot Film Festival UK, said that Akamas was the highlight of the event and invited Panicos Chrysanthou to give a speech about Akamas and its historical context. Boyd van Hoeij, a film critic on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, says Akamas success lies in its ability to reunite the emotional and the political, the historical and the natural into a familiar cinematic story. Ellen Angelopoulos has suggested that it be re-edited after its festival circuit to accommodate more peaceful messages and be shown in schools as part of history lessons and broadcast on television.
Negative reception and response
Greek nationalists including ex EOKA BEOKA B
EOKA-B was a Greek Cypriot paramilitary organisation formed in 1971. It followed a right-wing nationalistic ideology and had the ultimate goal of achieving the enosis of Cyprus with Greece...
members labeled Panicos Chrysanthou a traitor to Cyprus, claiming that the film was funded with Turkish money and is therefore a Turkish propaganda film. Chrysanthou responded by saying "It belongs to Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, it belongs to peace and humanity."
Dervis Zaim
Dervis Zaim
Derviş Zaim is a Turkish Cypriot filmmaker and novelist, who has twice won the Golden Orange for Best Director for Elephants and Grass and Dot ; Golden Oranges for Best Film and Best Screenplay for Somersault in a Coffin ; and the Yunus Nadi literary prize for his debut novel Ares in Wonderland...
and Panicos Chrysanthou followed it up with this statement:
One scene of the film portrayed the execution of a Greek Cypriot, inside a church, by a Greek Cypriot. No such event happened outside of the story of this film which resulted in the government of the Republic of Cyprus withdrawing funding promised to the filmmakers.
Panicos Chrysanthou
Panicos Chrysanthou is an award winning director who focuses primarily on documentaries. Akamas was his first fictional feature film. Films that he has worked on have been shown at Venice, Cannes and Berlin. Chamur (The Mud) won a prize at the Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
.
Panicos Chrysanthou was born in Kythrea
Kythrea
Kythrea is a village on the island of Cyprus.Kythrea is situated near the ancient kingdom of Chytroi which was founded by Chytros. Chytroi was one of the ten city-kingdoms of Cyprus in antiquity. According to one tradition the name Kythrea came from Chytroi...
.
See also
- AkamasAkamasAkamas , is a promontory and cape at the northwest extremity of Cyprus with an area of 230 square kilometres. Ptolemy described it as a thickly wooded headland, divided into two by summits [a mountain range] rising towards the north...
- Cypriot intercommunal violenceCypriot intercommunal violenceCypriot intercommunal violence refers to periods of sectarian conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots on the island of Cyprus from 1963 to 1974.-Background:...
- Modern history of CyprusModern history of CyprusThis article covers the modern history of Cyprus, from 1878 to the present.-Cyprus as a Protectorate:In 1878 as a result of the Cyprus Convention, the United Kingdom received as a protectorate, the island of Cyprus from the Ottoman Empire in exchange for United Kingdoms military support to the...
- EOKAEOKAEOKA was an anticolonial, antiimperialist nationalist organisation with the ultimate goal of "The liberation of Cyprus from the British yoke". Although not stated in its initial declaration of existence which was printed and distributed on the 1st of April 1955, EOKA also had a target of achieving...
- EOKA BEOKA BEOKA-B was a Greek Cypriot paramilitary organisation formed in 1971. It followed a right-wing nationalistic ideology and had the ultimate goal of achieving the enosis of Cyprus with Greece...
- Cyprus disputeCyprus disputeThe Cyprus dispute is the result of the ongoing conflict between the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey, over the Turkish occupied northern part of Cyprus....
- Cinema of GreeceCinema of GreeceGreece has a long and rich cinematic history. Greek films dominate the domestic market, for example Safe Sex had more box office receipts than Titanic. Characteristics of Greek cinema include a dynamic plot, strong character development and erotic themes...
- Romeo and JulietRomeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
External links
- http://mftm.blogspot.com/2007/09/2006.html
- http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/825953
- http://www.akamas-film.com/en_fromthepress_20050530.shtml
- http://www.akamas-film.com/index.shtml