Diakopes stin Kypro mas (1971) User Reviews

A wonderful film that is of huge cultural importance to both Cyprus and Greece.

[michaelstephanides · 10/10 · 28 April 2019]

This film is of huge cultural importance to Cyprus and Greece, priceless in fact. This film gives us in many ways a cultural snap shot of Cyprus and its people of that period, 1971. It shows us a unified, optimistic happy Cyprus (war and partition occurred in 1974); topographically, it shows us places that are now in the occupied areas. It accurately shows the humour, the values and perspectives of the people of that time. Anyone that holds dear those values, anyone who hold dear those times will be greatly moved. Two Students after completing their studies return to their homeland Cyprus. The guy returns from Greece and the lady from London. Their respective fathers, both with major wine companies and both bitter generational competitors against each other, try to foist on them inappropriate suiters for marriage, in large part to further their wine producing company and weaken their opponents company. The couple both independent in mind reject their matches and independently embark on their summer holidays in Cyprus. The couple meet and fall in love, but both claim they are poor and hide the fact from each other that they are from the feuding families. When discovered they run away together, with one of the fathers in pursuit, and only return after several adventures, on the promise from their respective fathers will allow them to marry. The director succeeds superbly in showing the strong love and spiritual connection that Cypriot people have for their land. A truly great film, with strong Shakespearian references, that is a hugely enjoyable farce, made in gentler times, with values we need to return to.