South Australia’s Minister for Small and Family Business, Consumer and Business Affairs, and the Arts, Andrea Michaels MP took time out of her busy parliamentary schedule to attend the screening of documentary ‘Two Homelands’ on Saturday, August 24 at the Mercury Cinema in Adelaide.
The film is dedicated to stories of resilience, 50 years after the 1974 Cyprus war.
After the screening, the director of the documentary Kay Pavlou hosted a Q&A with Minister Michaels, exploring her very personal connection to the story.
After the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, the Minister’s family fled the war-torn island, arriving in Adelaide in 1976 when she was 11 months old, wearing just the clothes on their back. Like all migrants, they worked very hard to create a secure life for their family.
“I get very emotional now talking about Cyprus. But it wasn’t always that way for me. Growing up in Australia, my family spoke of their life in Eptakomi. They were forced to evacuate our village without hope of ever returning. I didn’t have the memories they had. My connection to my occupied homeland came later in life. Especially this year on the 50th anniversary,” Minister Michaels said.
The discussion later opened up to the fully engaged audience.
Nick Hondrou, who brought seven members of his family to the screening, said, “Kay, your documentary has made me very sad. But it also makes me happy that our story is told. My dear father, departed three years ago, would have loved to see this.”
Many Cypriots spoke of their anguish when crossing the ‘dividing line’ to see their house still occupied and family graveyards desecrated. The broader community wanted to understand why a small European island still has a Buffer Zone in the middle with the capital city Nicosia split in two.
Panayiotis Pavlou, the director’s father who is featured in the film, was in the audience. Many who attended were descended from his village of Rizokarpaso, where Greek Cypriots refused to leave and continue to live under occupation. Panayiotis said, “Everybody in the room was touched.”
The audience expressed their yearning for a resolution to be found.
Kay quoted the Cypriot motto of ‘We never forget’ and asked how that related to the Minister.
Minister Michaels firmly said, “My campaign in Parliament is ongoing. I plan to move another motion this week about the illegal occupation and seeking a just solution to the Cyprus problem for all Cypriots. I will never forget.”
