Notes after Tutorial Session

 

Notes for Film Structure

·       Major changes in Cypriot way of life in the last 50 years

è Grandparents spent a lot of their daily lives outside in the fields, in the sun

è The field, the kitchen, the neighbourhood, the village – are all major symbols of Cypriot identity.

è Stronger sense of kinship and community within villages (this still exists but is mostly retained by elderly Cypriots)

è Changes in language  - certain words not used or forgotten

è How different life is in Cyprus now in comparison to when my grandparents and parents were young, the vast change within a relatively short period of time

 

·       No official retention of the Cypriot language

è Linked to changes in Cypriot life

è Speaking Cypriot dialect is a rebellious, grassroots act (even more so now) as it is purely maintained through daily conversations and has been passed on through generations (not as any official language)

è Modern Greek is institutionalized whilst Cypriot is not

-          Only form of Greek language taught in schools (alongside Greek history)

-          Spoken in professional environments as it is perceived as a more appropriate way of communicating

-          Spoken by news reporters, politicians, other people with media presence and influence

-          This goes hand in hand with the Hellenization of our history as well

è Something to explore: Why has this happened? What methods can I use to celebrate Cypriot language and/or accurately portray it?

 

·       Shame attached to manual labour

è Linked to changes in Cypriot life

è Manual labour a huge part of Cypriot culture and identity in our grandparents’ and parents’ generations.

-          Pappou: baker; seamster; carpenter

-          Yiayia: seamstress for thirty years in London

-          This crucial part of our identity is retained through tradition: grandparents took us to the field to tend to the produce, pick olives, etc.

è Manual labour now perceived as a mostly uneducated, skill-less profession; tradition of manual labour mostly maintained by those who never leave Cyprus to go abroad, those who grow up in villages and/or come from traditional/conservative families

è Idea of expectations

-          Not seen as viable or ideal to join manual labour workforce. New Cypriot generations encouraged go abroad for university and find a more corporate/commercial job that pays well (ideally outside of the country)

-          Idea of working hard abroad and being separated from family and homeland in order to be able to return and enjoy the luxuries of living at home.

è Celebration of our identity by portraying jobs that require the use of hands: Yiayia sewing and Pappou tending his field.