CyprusTODAY Volume LII, No 3, July - September 2014 Contents Editorial ..........................................................................................2 18th International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama ...................4 Cyprus and Geology. Science-EnvironmentCulture ................12 16th Pafos Aphrodite Festival ......................................................14 Lekfara lace embroidery course by UNESCO .........................17 13th International Countryside Animafest Cyprus ....................23 1st Apollon International Chamber Music Festival ...................28 9th Lemesos International Documentary Film Festival ............35 6th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival ............42 George Philippou Pierides ..........................................................54 Painting the Divine icon exhibition ...........................................56 Summer Music Academy ...........................................................59 My London Renos Lavithis ........................................................60 The Howa Jani Project ................................................................64 Volume LII, No 3, July - September 2014 A quarterly cultural review of the Ministry of Education and Editorial Assistance: Culture published and distributed by the Press and Information Natassa Haratsis-Avraamides Office (PIO), Ministry of Interior, Nicosia, Cyprus. [email protected] Press and Information Office Address: Michaela Mobley Ministry of Education and Culture [email protected] Kimonos & Thoukydides Corner, 1434 Nicosia, Cyprus Website: http://www.moec.gov.cy Design: GNORA COMMUNICATION CONSULTANTS Press and Information Office Printed by: Printco Ltd Apellis Street, 1456 Nicosia, Cyprus Website: http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio Front cover: The animation This is not a time to lie by Lei th EDITORIAL BOARD Lei, presented at the 13 International Countryside Animafest Chairperson: Cyprus Pavlos Paraskevas, Back cover: Aeschylus’ The Libation Bearers (Photo by Franca Director of Cultural Services, Centaro), as performed at the 18th International Festival of Ministry of Education and Culture Ancient Greek Drama Chief Editor: Jacqueline Agathocleous [email protected] GNORA COMMUNICATION CONSULTANTS PIO 238/2014 - 7.000 (website: www.gnora.com) ISSN (print) 0045-9429 Tel: +357 22441922 Fax: +357 22519743 ISSN (online) 1986-2547 Subscription Note: For free subscriptions please contact: [email protected]. 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Editorial t is safe to say that this past summer was uncharacteristically mild for our beloved island’s Istandards, though you would be hard pressed to hear any complaints! And many would agree that one of the plus sides of this beautiful summer was that it created the ideal setting for an abundance of festivals. Festivalgoers were indeed spoilt for choice, and they still have the International Pharos Contempo- rary Music Festival, now in its sixth edition, to look forward to in October, as well as the first ever Apollon International Chamber Music Festival in November. Readers can find out more about those in this issue of Cyprus Today. We also present a selection of our other favourite festivals, including the 18th edition of the increas- ingly popular International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama and the equally loved Pafos Aphrodite Festival, which presented opera lovers with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte. Our issue takes a look at a very special village in Cyprus – Lefkara - and its trademark embroidery The Howa Jani Project (page 64) Lefkara lace. One of Cyprus’ most distinctive types of traditional needlecraft, the Lefkaritiko is honoured to be on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Human- ity. Read our specially-dedicated feature to find out how UNESCO’s week-long embroidery course faired. Ecclesiastic art lovers will enjoy reading about the icon-exhibition Painting the Divine: Trends and influences in church painting of Cyprus during the 19th and 20th century and the role of the Modern Greek state, which explores the relations between the newly-founded Greek state (1830) and Cyprus under British rule in the field of painting. George Philippou Pierides is considered one of the most prominent figures of the Letters in Cyprus, having written – and won State Prizes for – a number of acclaimed works, most famously his Tetral- International Festival ogy of the Times. To mark the 110th anniversary of the late writer’s birthday, the Cultural Services of of Ancient Greek Drama (page 4) International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival (page 42) the Ministry of Education and Culture organised a workshop during which publications by academ- ics and eminent scholars, who have studied and analysed the writer’s work, where presented and discussed And, of course, our issue is laced with beautiful artwork, just to satisfy those visual senses! Cyprus Today was excited to hear about an exhibition by one of our much-loved artists living in London, Renos Lavithis. My London by Renos was presented at the prestigious Gallery in the Crypt at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, and did a good job of promoting our island’s talent further afield. Finally, Cyprus Today follows the Howa Jani Project from Jerusalem, which has gained much rec- ognition in recent years and represents the new generation of Israeli musicians. In three concerts in Cyprus in July, the Howa Jani Project, led by Neta Elkayam, revisited in their own distinct way the traditional music of North Africa with emphasis on the music of the Moroccan Jews. Enjoy! My London by Renos Lavithis (page 60) International Countryside Animafest Cyprus (page 23) 2 3 18th International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama heatre lovers were certainly not disappointed came, offering the public a multicultural entertain- Twith this year’s Festival of Ancient Greek ment of high aesthetic standards. th Drama on 4 July 2014, which is already in its 18 This year all the performances of the International year. The audience enjoyed ancient Greek drama Festival of Ancient Greek Drama are also included performances from Croatia/Slovenia, Belgium, in the official events programme of the Organisa- Italy, Greece and Cyprus at Pafos Ancient Odeon, tion European Capital of Culture – Pafos 2017. Curium Ancient Theatre in Limassol and Makarios Meanwhile, the organisers significantly reduced III Amphitheatre in Nicosia. the price of entry tickets, to move with the difficult Organised by the Cultural Services of the Minis- financial times. try of Education and Culture, the Cyprus Centre of the International Theatre Institute and the Cy- prus Tourism Organisation, this year’s festival This year’s performances was no mean feat. Medea by Euripides However, even in the midst of an unprecedented One of the best works of the great ancient Greek ETHAL (Limassol Theatre Development Company) in cooperation with Technodromio, economic crisis, the Festival’s organisers remained writer Euripides, Medea, a story about love, envy, Cyprus and Pera Theatre, Greece, presented Sophocles’ tragedy Philoctetes true to their goal of presenting performances that greed for fame and revenge, a co-production by were chosen for the originality of their approach. the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, Pandur. While preserving the uniqueness of ancient Greek Theaters, Slovenia and the Dubrovnik Summer at the Pafos Ancient Odeon. Medea, directed by vengeance against her and tries to force through drama, the performances also bore the distinc- Festival, Croatia, opened the 18th International the internationally acclaimed Tomaž Pandur, was the doors of the house, Medea suddenly appears tive cultural traits of the country from which they Festival of Ancient Greek Drama on 4 July 2014 presented in Croatia and Slovenia, and recently above, borne on a fiery car sent by her grandfather, at the Iberoamerican Theatre Festival 2014, in the Sun-god. Medea by Euripides Colombia. The direction, along with the spectac- Cast and crew ular acting of Alma Prica in the leading role, has Adaption from Euripides: Darko Lukić; transla- been highly praised in many countries. tion: Lada Kaštelan; Director: Tomaž Pandur; According to the plot, Medea, daughter of Aietes, Screen play by Tomaž Pandur, Livija Pandur; king of Kolchis, and granddaughter of the Sun- Dramaturge: Livija Pandur; Set design: Sven god, leaves her father and murders her brother to Jonke for NUMEN; Costume designer: Danica help Jason take her family’s treasure, the Golden Dedijer; Music: SILENCE; Video design: Dorijan Fleece. In addition, she has remained a faithful Kolundžija / Galerija 12+; Light designer: An- wife to him and has born him two sons. Neverthe- drej Hajdinak;