THE WAY THINGS ARE
Liberty, equality, fraternity, a lovely thought to wrap around any flag. How many democracies live up to that? Liberty? Still mostly in evidence. Equality and fraternity? We see huge bonuses given to upper management and shareholders, yet when workers ask for a raise the word ‘unsustainable’ is often thrown at them. Unions got a cost of living increase added to the comfortable salaries of public servants in Cyprus, while low pensions and welfare remain unrealistically static. Wealth has never, will never be fairly distributed.
Time has proven the common sense of old sayings. Don’t wash your dirty linen in public. You may not, but a ferrety journalist or a ballsy whistleblower may do it for you. Political secrets are harder to keep now. Cutting off your nose to spite your face is another. In recent years Cyprus has absorbed international criticism that took the sheen off lucrative, golden passports.
Even when the obvious need for overhaul is staring everyone in the face, the old parochial methods of perpetually doings things the same way endures in our time warp. The embedded system of nepotistic largesse at the expense of the poor and the country’s future itself, so often referred to by writers in this paper, overrides necessary shifts in thinking. In a rapidly changing world foresight should impose fast-action, practical alterations on a stagnant norm to meet new challenges with innovative approaches.
In some democracies, it’s easy to observe unwillingness to make unpopular decisions when the words votes, and helping friends do well, adhere to political brains like sticky tumours in the mental space where logic and sensibility on behalf of the greater good ought to be foremost. Our present model of tourism cash dependency may seem safe – for now but is in danger of depletion with increasing global weather patterns changing.
One of the inexplicable things we have done to spite our face is to cork the film industry genie in a bottle and leave it there, a potent force unable to work its magic; one that has real financial possibilities. Film production was aborted in its infancy here while other European countries grasp the advantage of its earnings and interest-additions to their tourism sectors. And it’s an industry that doesn’t depend on a precarious summer season. We have magnificent springs and late autumns, our short winter offers a snowy, different atmosphere to sun glittered, hot days. We have great light, clean blue sea, the mountains, ancient castles, the villages, the monasteries, perfect for off-season encouragement to film. Creating infrastructure would be a good start, cash saving convenience for producers. We have qualified people, educated, experienced in all aspects of film. Young writers aplenty with stories of a high standard, seldom given a chance to reach out to an international audience, and translators capable of fine but expensive work some writers cannot afford.
This means those without the financial wherewithal, do not get deserved exposure beyond their native Greek. High quality, scripted, Cypriot literary adaptations could engage interest internationally via streaming services which would inform those who never gave the island consideration as a holiday destination and could add incentives to visit the places filmed.
However, one obstacle that needs to be overcome is nepotism. If that hurdle can be surmounted and an individual’s quality performance becomes the entry card to the new industry and the product we send abroad, it could put this island on the film or documentary map. This is not to denigrate those already doing good work in the moving media field at present.
Having the right people doing the right jobs well is an imperative, not creating opportunities for ambitious relations or friends rather than genuine talent in the hopes it will get them noticed in a fiercely competitive field where only the cream rises to the top.
Nick Theodoulou featured the neglect of the Stavros Tis Psokas forestry station last Sunday. With its attractive animal sanctuary-potential refurbished, it could make an exclusive peace retreat for people seeking tranquility and natural beauty, a gentle refuge from stress. No crowds, souvenir shops, loud music or the usual tourist fare many enjoy, an alternative invitation to another Cyprus.
