A documentary on the cultural treasure of Cyprus will soon be screened by the BBC, following the actions of former president of the World Federation of Tour Guide Associations (WFTGA) and a very good friend of Cyprus, Deborah Andrus.
Ms Andrews will this afternoon be made an honorary member of the Cyprus Guides Association as a minimum appreciation for her love of Cyprus and her support of the great family of tour guides. The ceremony will take place outside the "Irene" hall on Ledra Street next to the "Green Line".
As Cyprus Guides Association President Lelia Mylonas told CNA, the film/documentary - Treasures of Cyprus - will be part of the Treasures of the World documentary series screened by BBC Cannel 4 and presented by journalist Bettany Hughes.
This series consists of films produced in various countries, including Greece, Egypt, Malta, Gibraltar, Gibraltar, Jordan, Turkey and others.
Bettany Hughes has already worked on Cyprus, with the film Venus Uncovered: Ancient Goddess of Love in English, which was shot in Cyprus in 2017, highlighting the Cypriot Goddess Aphrodite and connecting her with the deities of the Eastern Mediterranean and Greece.
The shooting of the documentary "Treasures of Cyprus" was to take place in spring 2021, but due to Covid-19's problems and insufficient funding, it was postponed.
The filming took place in March this year and it has already been confirmed by Channel 4 that once the film is ready, it will be shown in rush hour and distributed through their international distributors around the world. At the same time the film will also be shown through social networks.
Deborah Andrus[/B], who financed part of the cost of the documentary, told CNA that "the documentary aims to enlighten the public about Cyprus and I am happy to be part of it because I think Cyprus is a hidden treasure".
Speaking in broken Greek, she says her soul is in Greece and Cyprus. Referring to her life, she reveals that she is half Greek and half American. "My father was from a small village in Arcadia who went to the US and married my mother who is an American. I was born and raised in the US but I always feel that I am more Greek. I started going to Greece with my father when I was 15 years old. I lived in Greece for a year and a half where I did my master's degree. I have deep roots in Greece," she notes.
She attributes her love for Cyprus to the friendship that developed between her and Titina Loizidou, noting that she is now an "ambassador" for Cyprus.
Andrus and Loizidou met in 1987 on a bus from the airport to Vienna, where the two were to attend a convention of the World Federation of Tourist Guides.
As she says, in 1999 she was in Cyprus for another congress of the World Federation of Tourist Guides and happened to experience the beauty of the island and its people and put it forever in her heart.
"There is a sense of belonging here," she confesses.
Commenting that she has done a lot for Cyprus, she notes that "I haven't done anything great except love it."
Commenting that she has done a lot for Cyprus, she notes that "I haven't done anything great except love it. I have been to the island 16 times so far," she says.
Cyprus Guides Association President Lelia Mylonas told us that in 2001, Deborah Andrus, as president of the WFTGA, helped ensure that the World Federation's congress was held in Cyprus, since the conflict over the Middle East was coming to a head in Israel, where it was scheduled to take place.
As part of the conference, tour guides from around the world participated in the creation of a mosaic inscribed with the word "Peace" which was installed outside the Nicosia Municipality Hall near the barricade of Ledra Street. The unveiling was done by the then Mayor of Nicosia Lello Demetriades.
"Deborah Androus' role was important, as she was a dynamic participant in the procedures for the establishment in Cyprus of the International Training Centre of the World Federation of Tourist Guides, which operates in cooperation with the University of Cyprus," he said.
"The International Training Centre of the World Federation of Tour Guides in Cyprus has trained more than 200 tour guides from all over the world. In fact, aiming for guides to be properly trained all over the world, Deborah offered scholarships to tour guides from poor countries to participate in the international conferences of the WCOEN, embracing them so that the guiding profession can be better promoted in their countries," he added.
Deborah Androus' contribution to the establishment of the guiding profession, her great love for our country, Ms. Mylonas said, led the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Guides Association to decide to make her an honorary member, as a minimum recognition of her contribution.
Source: CNA
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