A POLITICAL documentary on young people’s views on the Cyprus problem has been shown at Oxford University.
The 25th Member, directed and co-produced by Stelios Kammitsis, was filmed in five countries and gives the views of Greek and Turkish Cypriots on themes such as the entrance of a divided Cyprus into the European Union, Cyprus after the Anan Plan, and the future of the two communities. It begins in New York, where the 22-year-old is studying Cinema Studies at the State University of New York, before crossing over to London, the EU parliament in Brussels, Paris and Cyprus.
When asked what inspired him to make the documentary, Kammatsis, who was raised in Nicosia, told the Cyprus Mail that, “I’ve watched a few political documentaries about the Cyprus problem and none of them were objective at all, showing only one side of the problem. My aim was to get young people, the future of this island, to talk about the current situation, and to represent both sides of the problem. I also wanted to make a documentary that would have a ‘pop/fast forward’ look, appealing in this way, more to youngsters. It’s a film coming from young people, to young people.”
He added that it took two months to film, plus an additional two to edit the footage.
“It didn’t cost much money because I used my own equipment, and the only expenses were the tickets to London, Brussels Paris and then Cyprus. I funded the film myself, as the process at the Ministry of Education’s Cyprus Culture department is ridiculously long for people wanting to get some assistance. My idea was too spontaneous and ambitious to wait a year for it to be approved.
“The digital age today has made it really easy and almost costless if you know how to film, edit, print and use the proper sound equipment. The Greek band Kitrina Podilata were kind enough to let me use their music and a song that they wrote about Cyprus, so I’m extremely grateful to Alexandros and Giorgos Pantelias, the two brothers who make up the band, for giving me their music.”
The documentary was recently shown at St Antony’s College, Oxford after their South East European Studies Department produced a study on the Cyprus problem. They then invited Kammitsis to screen his film at the College.
The 25th Member was screened at Intercollege in Nicosia back in July and Kammmitsis plans to “submit the film at the next Thessaloniki Documentary festival as well as at the Student American Academy Awards representing my university.”
I would like to see this film. Do you think young people see the Cyprus problem in a different way?
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