Cyprus

%

circa 1970

A travelogue centered around Cyprus' ancient history as represented through ruins and artifacts, while also depicting the island's natural beauty. The footage also explores the daily life of people living in Cyprus, and specifically zeroes in on how Cypriots make a living, pass the time, and celebrate important milestones. Important landmarks such as the ancient fortress, Castle Famagusta (also known as Othello's Tower) and the Buffavento Castle are clearly shown.

The film would have been originally presented with live narration by the filmmaker, Robert Davis.

The film opens with a shot of a rising Cyprus flag, the camera cuts to a double exposure featuring a Greek statue overlaying a shot of a rolling tide on a beach. The next sequence of shots focus on a man examining some ruins on a sunny day as well as showcased artifacts at a museum. At the ancient site, the camera presents an ancient mosaic, fallen stone pillars and ancient writing on a plaque. The next series of images feature various, small stone structures as well as a the religious art depictions in a Christian Orthodox church.Inside the church, a religious ceremony, the patriarch is dressed in lavish attire; gold crown and a scepter is also included in his wardrobe. The camera then cuts to a parade in the street. A family is quickly shown celebrating in a park before the succeeding shots portray people greeting tourists with flowers on a pier. Then, men are seen gathered in chairs outside a cafe, similar chairs are seen organized together facing the coast, then we finally see a group of men handcrafting chairs.

Moreover, at an an ancient fortress, Castle Famagusta, images detail the grandiose architecture. Continuing on the coast, the camera takes in medieval ruins as well as a Gothic style church. At the beach, a crowd of people is seen playing in the water and soaking up the sun.The camera cuts to a shot from a boat on the sea, a man on water skis is being pulled by the same boat. At the market, vendors can be seen preparing regional dishes. Next, the footage presents a group of men crafting leather boots before the scene switches to a peaceful garden, lush with tropical vegetation and water fountains. Curium Palace appears on screen, inside a group of friends are seen enjoying a meal,  a band can be seen performing. In the countryside, the footage captures people harvesting oranges and cherries. Inside a factory, machines are depicted corking bottles, a women shows off the labeled bottles. The next shot present a picturesque view of the beach, a car is seen going through a field of flowers. In the next shot, a man prepares, cooks and serves shawarma. At a young girl’s birthday party, people gather around trays of elegantly plated food, the birthday girl opens her gifts. This shot cuts to a scenic view of the green, mountainous landscape of Cyprus; homes and business are pictured on the slopes before the film concludes with a man giving a women a flower in a garden.

42 min 10 sec

16mm

1,540 feet

Color

Silent

1/1

English

Travelogue
Documentary

Features

Travel
Manners and customs
Processes and techniques
Food
Nature
Bodies of water
Religions
Religious services