Ο Κόσμος Μικραίνει / The World Shrinks: A Documentary about the Indigenous Cattle Breed of Cyprus
Researcher & project coordinator: Dr. Anna Spyrou
Directed by: Markos Kassinos
The Cyprus native cattle, an integral part of the island’s agricultural heritage, is currently threatened with extinction. Socioeconomic changes, economic globalisation, and industrialisation have led to the abandonment of traditional agricultural systems, resulting in the decline of this unique breed, and thereby leading to a loss of agro-biodiversity. Moreover, and despite its significant genetic, ecological, and cultural value, public awareness about the breed’s importance remains limited
The documentary “The World Shrinks: A Documentary about the Indigenous Cattle Breed of Cyprus” highlights the historical, cultural, and ecological values of Cyprus’s native cattle. Drawing on research from the project ARETI (Animals REsilient in TIme), the film explores the breed’s role in Cyprus’s past, present, and future, while bringing to the forefront the main threats these animals are currently facing. The documentary aims to raise awareness, inspire conservation efforts, and advocate for policies supporting biodiversity, sustainable agriculture and farming.
Beyond Tradition – Power of natural voices
Dr. Lea Hagmann, Rahel von Gunten
The ethnomusicological documentary Beyond Tradition – The Power of Nature’s Voices focuses on three young people from the Appenzell region in Switzerland, the southern Sami region of Svahken sijte in Norway, and the Georgian city of Rustavi, all of whom are exploring their traditional singing styles and questioning their limitations in different ways. The film tells of building bridges between convention and innovation, between the familiar and the unknown. It is a plea for the vitality of traditions and an invitation to rethink, feel, and experience home and identity in new ways.
The ethnomusicological documentary received an award in the ICTMD Documentary or Video Prize category from the International Council of Traditions of Music and Dance in 2023 and was honored with the BFE-RAI Ethnomusicology Award in 2025.
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