Cyprus Exclusive Interview Featured

Atik “Art is the way to peace itself”

by Kallis Antounas14 November 2023

Theatre Director Derman Atik said that the art is the way to peace itself and if we want peace in our country and our world, love should be the keyword.

“We artists and business people of both communities, should work harder, trade art together, think together, live together, and pass it on to future generations in order to have peace that we long for and desire for in Cyprus” he said in an exclusive interview to Voice International.

He emphasised that the both communities can trade together, produce art together, and create a new culture that is much more contemporary than before.

Atik talked about the play , Hadi Öldürsene Canikom”, that he has chosen to direct and the importance of art to bring communities closer in Cyprus.

QUESTION:Starting off with the award-winning play that you chose by Aziz Nesin, what made you pick this play, and has the play made an impact on you?

ATİK: We have always had a dream of doing business for our country for 25 years, with dear Valentina Sofokleus. However, the reasons that made our dream come true were the conditions, time, and working conditions. Valentina wanted me to be the theatre director of a special play 2 years ago. It meant that, we could make our dream come true. There were two planned plays. One was a play by a Greek Cypriot writer, a beautiful play open to environmentalists and fantastic creativity. The other was a contemporary and relevant play ‘Hadi Öldürsene Canikom’, written in the 1970s by a world-known master Aziz Nesin.
Capitalism has made and is still making people more and more isolated since the 1970s. This has been going on for 53 years. As time goes by, it will continue to isolate more people terribly. Love in the world will gradually fade away. People will no longer tolerate or care for each other. Then at this point, the contemporary play HADİ ÖLDÜRSENE CANİKOM based on human relations, sharing, love, and tolerating will be watched and make an impact on people. This is exactly why we picked this play.

QUESTION: As we can understand , the play is the result of a bi-communal cooperation. What were the challenges you’ve experienced during the play?

ATIK: Yes, the game emerged as a result of a bi-communal cooperation. This is neither the first nor will it be the last. Peace is the only thing that will save the world from all kinds of wars. This is the only truth that needs to be seen today. Since our country is also in this world, we artists and business people of both communities, should work harder, trade art together, think together, live together, and pass it on to future generations in order to have peace that we long for and desire for in CYPRUS. We can trade together, produce art together, and create a new culture that is much more contemporary than before. If peace is our goal, love should be our key.
During this play, we did not have any problems other than our own busy schedules since we both had other theatres going on. However, our premiere took place in Maltepe, Türkiye, on the targeted day, and we did this by working very disciplined, efficient, and very professional.
Meanwhile, before working with Haris Pişias, we were working with another male actor, but unfortunately he stopped working with us due to having a busy schedule. So, in order not to experience the same problems in the future, we started working with Haris Pişias again. Popi Avram and Valentina Sofokleus were very helpful during this process. Everyone came to the rehearsal and practiced at home well, thus our work became easier.
You started your question by saying “artists”, which may be a correct approach on your part because you are asking the question by looking at the world in general, I can understand that. Because there are artists in the world who do not support peace. However, isn’t the artists’ philosophy of art, which is aimed at being ethical, aesthetic, fair, and finding perfection, the very peace itself? Can we say that the philosophy of art is good, right, or even ethical, aesthetic, and fair for war? Of course not, we can’t say it is, in fact, we shouldn’t. If we do, then this will be denying art, philosophy, and even ourselves, which means we are not an artist.

QUESTION: Some artists say, “An artist will always support peace.” What do you think about art being a path to peace, especially for our island?

ATİK: You asked whether you believe art is the path to peace in this country. ART is the way to PEACE itself. If we want peace in our country and our world, love should be the keyword. Just like the song said: Beauty will save the world, and everything will begin with love.

Kallis Antounas-Voice International 2023

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