Nicosia: A documentary by renowned Cypriot filmmaker Michael Cacoyannis about the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, titled “Attilas ’74,” has been included in the online Documentary Film Library of the Association of Francophone Creators of Non-Fiction Works – La Scam (La Cin©math¨que du Documentaire – Cin©mas Documentaires LUSSA), according to a press release by the Deputy Ministry of Culture.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the documentary has been fully restored and digitized at the initiative of the Greek production company Faliro House Production, in collaboration with the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation. It is also mentioned that, according to the Cacoyannis Foundation, “the documentary was selected among 1,001 other documentaries – part of UNESCO’s ‘ark’ of historical memory worldwide.”
The Deputy Ministry further notes that the documentary consists of unique footage and testimonies provided both by Michael Cacoyannis and by refugees and survivors of the Turkish invasion, as well as by historical actors such as Archbishop Makarios III and others.
Welcoming the inclusion of the documentary in this “significant film archive,” the Deputy Ministry says that this recognition “confirms the timeless way in which Michael Cacoyannis portrayed the tragic consequences of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.”
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence.