Cultural Heritage MSc students film a documentary about the lives and thoughts of the people of the suburb of Kaimakli


Digital Cultural Heritage MSc students have created a documentary film which continues to gain widespread recognition in Cyprus and abroad. Having been awarded the Best Short Documentary Award at the Storyland Festival in Bulgaria, ‘KAIMAKLI’ continues its international exposure with a screening at the renowned Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival. 

Produced by students Nikandros Savvides, Despina Stavrou, Antonia Agapiou and Evagoras Krystallis in the context of a graduate course taught and led by CyI Assoc. Prof. George Artopoulos of STARC, the documentary captures the voices and stories of Kaimakli, a district of Nicosia, Cyprus. The documentary addresses the lives and thoughts of the people of Kaimakli through the exploration of themes of belonging, identity and resilience, uniting diverse communities across time. The unique architectural heritage of the neighborhood of Kaimakli plays an integral role in the documentary and is almost a character in its own, giving the people of the area central meeting points such as the local coffee shop, the tailors shop, from which they conduct their daily routines. Through ethnographic research and heritage studies, the documentary captures how built heritage connects communities, offering a glimpse into everyday life in this historically rich but politically complex neighbourhood.

The film was supported and benefitted by the research team and infrastructure of STARC’s Virtual Environments Lab (VELab). Also, APAC Labs is very proud to have supported the research work of the award-winning students!

KAIMAKLI has been featured in news articles in Cyprus, appearing in PHILE NEWS, POLITIS and HARAVGI. Some of the students have also been interviewed on TV by Sigma and RIK channels giving the documentary some very well deserved exposure.  Well done to our students on this incredible achievement and for demonstrating the power of storytelling in cultural heritage. 



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