The Divided Island

The Divided Island is an incredibly powerful documentary focusing on the divided island of Cyprus. The film does an excellent job of exploring the complex history and ongoing divide between the two sides, highlighting the personal stories and experiences that often get lost in political talks. The personal stories were incredibly moving and really brought the issue to life. The visuals and sounds design were stunning. The storytelling was so impactful that I found myself reflecting on it since watching. If you want to get a better understanding of the Cyprus Conflict, I highly recommend checking it out.

The Divided Island is an excellent documentary which tells the heart wrenching story of the conflict which has divided Cyprus for the past 50 years. The story is told by a unique blend of factual story telling and real life personal stories from participants who have lived through this conflict which has allowed the film to have a resounding impact on the viewers. The directors have managed to present an highly emotional yet still unbiased take on the conflict teaching the viewers about stories from both sides of Turkey and Greece through the medium of the eyes of the people who lived through it.

I would highly recommend to watch The Divided Island.

As a people who have been historically infantilized, I cannot describe how satisfying it is to have a balanced representation of our collective history by an inter-communal duo. Whether you're an expert or curious about how Cyprus came to be, this documentary offers insights and most importantly, stokes solidarity between not just Cypriot communities, but colonised communities of the Global South who have suffered partition due to British divide and conquer policies and US imperialism. Any land with natural resources to exploit has a people whose history is dominantly described by the very people who wish to extract from them. This is what it looks like when those subjects overcome those barriers and reclaim their narratives.

The Divided Island offers a fascinating glimpse into the recent history of Cyprus. A series of powerful, hard-hitting testimonials from Greeks and Turks who lived through the horrors are captivatingly presented alongside insight from historians, piecing together 70 years of history in 90 minutes.

The most impressive aspect of this film is its ability to illicit empathy from both sides. The documentary is co-produced by Greek and Turkish Cypriots, providing balance and measure to a debate which has traditionally been characterised by fierce hatred for either side.

It's the story of Cyprus, told by Cypriots. Leveraging an impressive range of archive footage, the documentary forces both sides to acknowledge the trauma and pain caused by the conflict. It's a story, that until now, has remained untold, providing critical perspectives on the events that led to the division of the island and Nicosia - Europe's last divided city.

In the times we live in there can be no more important a story than one which shows how two sides of a divided Island came to be. Additionally, the film makers move forward to see how this conflict troubled them so much so they dared to seek clarification on an issue which has troubled them and successive generations for many years. Important questions are raised and addressed in a completely unbiased way which leaves the viewer with many thoughts and a much clearer understanding of what happened on that Island and question whether the resolutions which were found really solve the issues or simply bury them for future generations. Brilliant debut and I hope this story travels far and wide as far more important people than myself should be viewing and helping put these kind of conflicts - which always seem to affect the local communities rather than the decision makes. This movie nails it.