united cyprus
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UNITED CYPRUSUNITED CYPRUS
“What we demand is very reasonable and what we aim for is self-evident:
We demand and aim for the reunification of our country and our people….”
Tassos Papadopoulos
Orpheus Production presentsReality show with participants of Greek and Turkish Cypriots
1. Introduction
2. About the project
3. Key Participants
4. Why 4x4?
5. Why Africa?
6. Production
7. Audience Participation
8. Post-expedition
Contents:
We, the authors and producers, are devoted to the reunification of the
Republic of Cyprus.
We wish to demonstrate our love and our respect for the people, the history,
traditions and the culture of Cyprus; we are willing and able to make a reasoned,
rational and feasible contribution to help the process of reunification. We hope
that our proposed project will be closely studied and will be considered to be in
the best interests of the Republic by the special commission, which is
responsible for all aspects of reunification.
Mission Statement
live in peace, prosperity and the well-being of an united Cyprus. However,
individuals have fear and uncertainty which in the older generation is
associated with the memory of participation in the events of those tragic days,
and in youth is blighted by insularity, the inevitable result of long isolation
caused by not knowing each other.
Our proposed reality show, with the participation of both Greek and Turkish
Cypriots, is especially designed to change peoples' minds, to break stereotypes
and to get to know each other. Participants of the show will be the
representatives of their own communities. During the time spent traveling,
they will learn more of each other; they will discover that they have a lot in
common in terms of culture and traditions and, as they overcome the
difficulties of the expedition, their friendship will grow.
1. IntroductionIn the summer of 1974, immediately after the occupation of northern Cyprus
by Turkey, the first round of tripartite peace talks took place in Geneva with the
participation of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Turkey and Great
Britain.
After the meeting, the parties agreed to establish a ceasefire. However, the
second stage of negotiations, held between the same parties but with the
additional participation of the Greek and Turkish population of Cyprus led to
the complete failure of previous agreements and an exacerbation of what had
become known as the “Cyprus problem”. Thirty-five years have passed since and
all subsequent attempts to peacefully solve the problematic issue have failed.
Today we have a very real opportunity to resolve the “Cyprus problem” and
we must take advantage of it. Numerous talks between Greek and Turkish
leaders, held over the decades, have not led to a solution of the problem. The
plan proposed in 2004 by Koffi Annan similarly failed. Politicians, not only of the
two communities directly involved, but also representing all developed
nations worldwide, have been unable to achieve an agreement. Often, their
theses were based on the will of the people; a truly held desire of the people to
For three months, we propose to host a daily half hour programme during
prime-time. The theme is of Cypriot couples of different denominations
traveling throughout Africa together.
Two pairs of young Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots have a lot in
common. They are students in the history of their country and they love to
travel. They regularly chat on the Internet, as well as researching materials for
their studies. Then the virtual meetings turn into a reality; between them they
come up with the idea to go on a trip through Africa together. They plan their
trip, research their route and go! Their journey is rich with adventures;
incredible encounters with interesting people, discovery of new and exciting
places, the experience of new cuisine and the assimilation of different cultures.
They always talk about their country and that they live in different parts of the
small island of Cyprus, but they talk, too, of their mission: to travel from the
northernmost point of the continent to the southernmost.
2. About the projectOn their journey they will have many difficulties to overcome but slowly the
viewer will realize that despite their differences of language, culture, religion
and attitude they are much the same: for they are Cypriot. They finish their trip
to the Cape of Good Hope and this is very symbolic because in the hearts of
these young people really live the hope that the island one day will again be
united.
The show will include a weekly in-studio, large-screen video conference
during which the studio audience and phone-in viewers will be able, via
translators as necessary, to participate with our actors, ask them questions,
make observations and participate in our reality show.
The actors in the show will be two couples of young males and females:
Greek-Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, 20-25 years old. These young, charismatic,
positive, progressive people, represent a new generation of non-participants of
the tragic events of 1974. Maybe one of the actors should be a famous and
recognizable person on the island (singer, musician), which will attract
audience interest from the very beginning of the programme. Selection of
members of the expedition will be conducted through consultation with
sociologists, psychologists and political scientists. The chosen actors are the
face and symbol of an united Cyprus.
3. Actors
4. Why by 4x4?Most reality shows are based on the principle of “behind the glass” (Big
Brother etc), where the events are developing in a confined space. In our
project, the events are not only the reaction of the participants toward each
other, but also their reaction to the events that occur during their journey.
Through the eyes of these actors, the audience will become familiar with the
geography, culture and history of the many interesting and unusual, places in
the continent, the facets of which are changing daily. We are 'virtually' traveling
along with our heroes, not only to the most popular places in Africa but also to
visit the most remote and exotic places along the route.
5. Why Africa?Africa is a most striking and exotic continent. There is an incredible mix of
cultures, a rich heritage and mystically unknown traditions. Our heroes - they
are real researchers - will find themselves in a quite different world, a world full
of adventures and mysteries. They will find out that in almost in every country
they visit during their trip, live Cypriots. There are Greek and Turkish societies.
They will visit both churches and mosques. They will meet with both Greeks and
Turks, and some of them will be Cypriots! This in all a part of today's multifaceted
and diverse Africa. The trip starts in Egypt, perhaps the cradle of civilization, and
our heroes are enjoying the rich history of the Pharoes. As they progress
southward they visit national parks, live with local tribes, cross rivers and
deserts. They try themselves in extreme sports – rafting on the Zambezi,
practice Sand boarding, bungee jumping from Victoria Falls and much more!
Their journey finishes at the Cape of Good Hope!
The shooting of the show will be practically 24 hours per day, 3 months all the
way from Cyprus to Cape Town. Footage material will be pre-mounted and the
best-edited scenes will be transmitted to TV channels via satellite, for editing,
translation and insertion of subtitles, if necessary. Shooting will be provided
and maintained by creative production and organizational groups throughout
the trip, consisting of 16-18 people. In addition to the car SUV (4x4), all crew,
equipment, and PTS (mobile television) will move on a specially equipped
transport.
6. Production
Reality show is designed primarily for an audience of Greek and Turkish
communities of the island. However, the project can be also transmitted by
Greek and Turkish (Mainland) channels. Interest in the project may involve not
only the Cypriots, but also other countries with existing centers of
confrontation so that the project could serve as a precedent for similar projects
in other regions (for example: Palestine and Israel, countries of former
Yugoslavia, etc.) The project itself is of interest not only socially and politically,
but also as an adventure, which may be the verge of contact with such projects
as Discovery, National Geographic etc.
7. Audience
8. Post expeditionOur actors return to the island as true heroes. They are the representation of a
new relationship between the communities of Cyprus. Their faces will be the
symbol of an united island. They may participate in TV shows and many other
activities aimed at uniting the island. Hundreds of people will meet their heroes
at the airport. At the end of the expedition, right on the day of their arrival it
might be possible to arrange a concert at the democratic line with the legends
of pop and rock (eg, Deep Purple, The Wall in Berlin, 1989).