The much-discussed TV series “Famagusta”, which premiered recently, has disturbed the oblivion, brought back associations around the tragic events of 1974, raised concerns, and provoked reactions.
And while in recent years the slogan “I Do Not Forget” had come to sound quaint and the tragic figure of Harita Madoles had come to seem like an outdated image of the past, the captivating performance of Despina Mpempedeli and the cultural footprint of the series came to awaken memories, trigger associations and discussions.
The reverberations of the series, not only at home but also abroad (see Greece and Turkey), and the comments recorded around it, bring to the fore the role that TV series, films, and other art forms can play in the context of Cultural Diplomacy, the so-called “noble weapon” of the foreign policy of states.
Cultural Diplomacy is essentially “the methodical use of elements or features specific to the culture of a country in the management of its external international relations.” It “reveals the soul of a nation,” which in turn creates influence, as a diplomatic report by the State Department’s Cultural Diplomacy Advisory Committee states.
