Cyprus-Forum.com

[Nickp]

I ordered this DVD off the internet as i've only ever seen a couple of documentaries on Cyprus from the 80's.

Essentially, it is a masterful documentary ahead of it's time when it was shot. It focuses on the plight of the Greek Cypriot community, which make's it biased from this perspective. However, it's not biased in terms that it's derogatory to the Turkish Cypriot community.

My main surprise is that it actually was more focused on the Greek nationals extremists rarther than the Turkish invasion and placed alot of the blame on EOKA B.

It was interesting to see Cyprus in 1974, to my surprise the place looked alot more prosperous than what i expected.

Nevertheless, the only thing missing from this documentary that would have made it that much more was documentating what was going on from the TC's side.

If anyone knows of any documentaries that focus from a TC side i'd be interesting in seeing it.

Furthermore, as i come from a film making background. A friend of mine made a short film called "Rifts" about a GC' kebab shop owner in north london who gets into a price war with a TC who opens up opposite him.

If anyone is interested, i'll try and sort out some copies.

Cheers!
Nick

[eracles]

hi nickp - i think i know who you are talking about (your friend) - say hello to her from 'eric' in leeds. would love a copy of rifts. been meaning to order Attila,...is there quite a lot of 74 footage???

[metecyp]

My main surprise is that it actually was more focused on the Greek nationals extremists rarther than the Turkish invasion and placed alot of the blame on EOKA B.

This was a surprise for me as well.

Nevertheless, the only thing missing from this documentary that would have made it that much more was documentating what was going on from the TC's side

I agree. A documentary about TC sufferrings in 1974 would be perfect match to it.

If anyone knows of any documentaries that focus from a TC side i'd be interesting in seeing it.

Actuall a GC, Angastiniotis, produced a documentary showing TC sufferrings. I think it's online as well, I'll try to find it.

[Nickp]

Hey there,

Yeah there is alot of 1974 footage as it was shot at the time and within the same year. However, i expected there would be more footage from the actual advancing turkish troops and the bombing of Famagusta and it's ghost town state. Again, footage like this would have really just amplified the scale of what was going on. However, i'm sure the guy had to operate in his restrictions.

I was also more amazed that Cyprus in the film is nothing like the Cyprus that i my self have grew up in, bear in mind i'm in my mid twenties.

This mainly focuses on Greek Cypriot nationalism and enosis. The fact that they would murder fellow GC's for this cause. The fact that they have 'Enosis' engraved in the mountains as are the Turkish flags on the Kyrenia moutain range. And this whole notion to unify with Greece and these die hard nationals.

The Cyprus that i've grown up with is nothing like what i saw in the film. Bare in mind, i was born six years after the invasion and it would have been probably 10 years before i could actualy have my earliest memory. Esentially, when i was growing up and today, the focus has been on Cypriotness or should i say a Greek Cypriot state and independence. This notion of Enosis and Greek extremists, i've never encountered and i would imagine is pretty dead and buried.

However, this documentary and all others that i've seen that are from the GC perspective. For the past 28 years the North has been inaccessible for GC's. For my generation, when the GC's speak of the Turks and all the horrible things they have done to the GC's, for years it was painting a picture in my head that a 'Turk' is a horrible monster with 8 arms.

This imagine was broken when i whent to the North for the first time and witnessed that the TC's, settlers and even the soldiers are just people that live in peace like us.

[brother]

Hey nick, i would like a copy of that movie and do you think i could rent the rape of attila in u.k.

[cannedmoose]

Brother, as someone who's owned Attila for quite some time, it's certainly worth a watch for the archive interviews, but it should also carry a health warning... it is VERY biased. It presents a compelling account of GC suffering, Turkish aggression etc., without providing any background as to the suffering of TC's. Nonetheless, as a unilateral perspective, it's certainly useful, the interviews with Makarios alone are worth getting the DVD. What bugs me about it are the 'pulling at the heartstrings' segments featuring relatives of the missing and refugees. It's quite a cynical use of their plight as propaganda (still, what's new in Cyprus).

I got my copy from the US, but (at the risk of advertising) you can get it from Amazon.co.uk for about a tenner. I don't think there's any chance of finding it on rental, unless you're in London and visit one of the video stores in Wood Green (aka Wood Greek), you might find it there.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 21-0622230

[Piratis]

It presents a compelling account of GC suffering, Turkish aggression etc., without providing any background as to the suffering of TC's.

Dude, the movie is called Attila 74, not "The whole history of Cyprus". It doesn't mention the suffering of GCs during the Ottoman empire either, right?

In 1974 the ones who suffered were the GCs, and in that year the suffering of TCs was like a drop in the ocean compared to the GC suffering. I mean we are talking about 6000 GCs dead, the TCs that died in that year was 100 times less.
I am not saying that TCs didn't suffer. They did, quite a bit. But not in 74.

[cannedmoose]

Dude, the movie is called Attila 74, not "The whole history of Cyprus". It doesn't mention the suffering of GCs during the Ottoman empire either, right?

In 1974 the ones who suffered were the GCs, and in that year the suffering of TCs was like a drop in the ocean compared to the GC suffering. I mean we are talking about 6000 GCs dead, the TCs that died in that year was 100 times less.
I am not saying that TCs didn't suffer. They did, quite a bit. But not in 74.

'Dude', having seen the movie and analysed it in quite some detail, I'm fully aware of its content. Given that it discusses the pre-independence struggle and events prior to 1974, it is NOT solely about the events of July/August in that year. As for your figures on number of deaths, no death is a 'drop in the ocean' as you call it, also I dispute your figures on that score. I stand by what I wrote in my previous post, it's an interesting perspective on the events of 1974, but by no means whatsoever is it an objective one.

[Piratis]

also I dispute your figures on that score

We know that the only figures you accept undisputed are the ones given by those that the British historically supported (for their own benefits) - the Turkish Cypriots. And then, you, come to talk about "bias"!!!

[cannedmoose]

also I dispute your figures on that score

We know that the only figures you accept undisputed are the ones given by those that the British historically supported (for their own benefits) - the Turkish Cypriots. And then, you, come to talk about "bias"!!!

Once again Piratis, you take things to a personal level. Yes, I am British, but that does not necessarily make me biased. If anything I should be biased in favour of GC's since essentially by marriage, religion, and ID card-holding I am virtually one of you. And at no point have I ever said which figures I believe in, so your assumption that I swallow some UK government line is incorrect. Also quit the personal remarks please. From your other posts I appreciate that you have some issues with Brits, but constant Brit-bashing doesn't make your case any stronger.