Volume L, No 3, July-September 2012 - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Volume L, No 3, July-September 2012 - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Volume L, No 3, July-September 2012 - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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Pafos Aphrodite Festival <strong>2012</strong><br />
The 14 th Pafos Aphrodite Festival raised its curtain<br />
this year on the Slovak National Theatre’s<br />
performance <strong>of</strong> Verdi’s Otello. The Festival was<br />
held on 7, 8 and 9 <strong>September</strong> at the Medieval Castle<br />
<strong>of</strong> Pafos, in Pafos Harbour. The performance<br />
was supertitled in Greek and English.<br />
The Plot<br />
An adaptation <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> William Shakespeare’s<br />
four great tragedies, Otello is set at the Castle <strong>of</strong><br />
Famagusta in the 15 th century, where Othello, governor<br />
<strong>of</strong> Cyprus, returns victorious from the war<br />
unaware that two <strong>of</strong> his men, Iago and Rodrigo,<br />
are plotting to destroy him. Iago, wishing to satisfy<br />
his own ambitions, defames Otello’s wife, Desdemona,<br />
convincing Otello that she was unfaithful to<br />
him with his Captain, Cassio. Blinded by jealousy,<br />
Otello kills Desdemona, but he soon finds out the<br />
truth <strong>of</strong> Iago’s treachery. Unable to bear the burden<br />
<strong>of</strong> her murder, he stabs himself and dies.<br />
Cyprus Presidency <strong>of</strong> the Council<br />
<strong>of</strong> the European Union<br />
Due to the symbolic connection <strong>of</strong> this opera with<br />
the occupied city <strong>of</strong> Famagusta, coupled with continued<br />
international acknowledgment <strong>of</strong> the Pafos<br />
Aphrodite Festival, this year’s Festival was held<br />
under the auspices <strong>of</strong> the Cyprus Presidency <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Council <strong>of</strong> the European Union, which enhanced<br />
the prestige <strong>of</strong> the Festival and brought it extra recognition.<br />
Pafos Aphrodite Festival Cyprus –<br />
A Historical Overview<br />
The Company Pafos Aphrodite Festival Cyprus<br />
was founded in 1998 by the Municipality <strong>of</strong> Pafos,<br />
the Municipality <strong>of</strong> Geroskipou, the Municipality<br />
<strong>of</strong> Pegeia, the Pafos Chamber <strong>of</strong> Commerce and<br />
Industry and the Cyprus Hoteliers Association (Pafos<br />
District Committee). These five organisations<br />
formed the Company to promote Pafos as an international<br />
centre for high pr<strong>of</strong>ile cultural events and<br />
to contribute to the international promotion and<br />
advancement <strong>of</strong> Cyprus in the cultural and tourist<br />
sectors. The Company is a non-pr<strong>of</strong>it organisation<br />
that organises and manages the Pafos Aphrodite<br />
Festival and other cultural events in Pafos District.<br />
A Success, Despite Being Deemed Unfeasible<br />
Prior to 1998 it was considered unfeasible for Cyprus<br />
to host a world renowned opera festival. Today,<br />
thanks to the hard work <strong>of</strong> people with vision<br />
and a passion for cultural development, as well as<br />
the decisive support <strong>of</strong> the state and the public and<br />
private sectors, the Pafos Aphrodite Festival has<br />
emerged as an institution <strong>of</strong> international scope,<br />
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