By Heidi Trautmann

It is a confirmed rumour that only Bavarians know how to make continuously successful festivals but now we know better: Catalkoy just as well knows what people like: That is music, dance, art and theatre, in-between many goodies to eat from the street stalls. Competitions in cooking traditional dishes and famous Cypriot street games to watch were on the 2-day-programme.

For two full days the main square of Çatalköy became the living room for villagers, friends and guests, neighbouring houses opened their doors and windows and offered homemade food and handicraft. Chairs were provided for people to sit along the street, grandma cooked pancakes on the traditional special cooker, families brought out their preserves and honey pots, freshly baked bread and cakes were offered on stalls.

The stage was just as enormous as the years before, the venue for dance groups, award ceremonies for the cooking competition and on the first evening we could see a very special theatre show by the theatre group Tiyatro SU from Çatalköy and on the second day, as the concluding event,  an amazing fashion show, just as last year, with the famous Turkish Cypriot fashion designer Abdullah Öztoprak who had also designed the costumes for the Cypriot film ‘Codename Venus’.

There were two photo exhibitions very much worthy to see, the one at the ‘Café Monteo’ where you have a fantastic view over the coastline and the other one opposite in a municipal room with Celal Demililer and two young ladies, all three amateur photographers who take their hobby very seriously, and when I asked Celal what his motivation is he said to me, with very wise and touching words: I try to catch the presence for the future and I am happy to share these moments with the public, I don’t sell the photos. Also the young ladies had praiseworthy work done, they also have learnt how to discover the beauty that for others is often hidden.

It was a festival with a difference. A big thank you to Mehmet Hulusioğlu, the mayor, and Derman Atık, the cultural director, for arranging the event.