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Local film shows island backdrop can be made to resemble variety of places
November 16, 2020
The first Hollywood film shot completely on the island gets its release this coming week in America and Canada. Kyriacos Nicolaou asks those involved in its production if Cyprus will be recognisable
Cyprus’ first Hollywood film – Jiu Jitsu, directed by Dimitri Logothetis – will this week be screened for the first time in America, although we have to wait a while in Cyprus to enjoy the fruits of the biggest movie project the island has ever engaged in.
Being shot entirely in Cyprus, Jiu Jitsu features a number of exterior shots from across the island that will be instantly recognisable to people who live here, including Cape Greco and the Liopetri river. But there are some scenes that won’t be as recognisable.
“Some people will not be familiar with some of the locations we’ve shot certain sections of the movie at. The good thing is that each movie that will be shot here can provide something different to the audience. Sometimes they’ll be able to identify the locations, while other times they will not,” local Production Manager Costas Pitsillides said. And while people may be familiar with the location, some of them look rather different in the final picture.