By rights, we should all now be suffering from a case of naked compassion fatigue; after another batch of calendars goes on sale displaying yet another motley collection of Brits posing with emblematic items to conceal their ‘private parts’.
Blame those Women’s Institute members from Yorkshire after they posed in 2000 wearing little more than a set of pearls and a smile with strategically positioned jam pots, watering cans and fairy cakes. Then, it was lauded as an original, well produced, witty concept calendar, with the result sales rocketed with a leukaemia charity being the sole beneficiary. Sadly it was also universally copied and long established ways of fund raising have now been replaced by an urge to show off one’s bum in public.
Over the years Paphos residents have seemed particularly desperate to follow suit as they rush to shed their clothes, throwing modesty and underwear to the wind. Unlike the original WI calendar, these amateur offerings are usually pretty dreadful.
One very different calendar, in aid of all the island’s cancer charities, has been launched which is not only imaginative, but well produced with superb photographic images. At the same time it manages to send a really positive message to all those who have been affected by the disease who were asked to appear as characters from iconic movies.
Creator and photographer for the project, Kevin Jones said for all the models the experience was positive. “Many of them have felt so much more empowered by being part of this calendar. One woman actually didn’t believe it when she saw her picture, saying she couldn’t imagine how good she looked even after all the treatments she had been through. Importantly, they all look so good, and they are still with us and in such a great spirits, it really is a testament to how well we can all try and cope with this disease”.
After seeing the result, February’s Maria O Shea said, “I couldn’t believe I could even look like that”. The disease had taken away all her self esteem after breast cancer resulted in a mastectomy and she now has a different attitude to life.
“It would be nice for people not to see us as victims of the disease hidden away and this calendar I hope will help,” added Miss January, Chrissie Jackson who is cast as Tippi Hedren furiously trying to fend off a flock of ‘killer’ Paphos seagulls, in homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s movie The Birds.
Hilary Morrisey is pictured mimicking Shirley Valentine’s looking out to sea moment, styled perfectly she sits nursing a glass of wine. Hilary however was quick to reassure that her husband has never once stubbed out a cigarette on his fried eggs. The feisty pair of Thelma and Louise are played by Sandi Cooper and Alice Smith. “I am acting out the reverse role here,” says former police officer Sandi, “but I am not acting a role when it comes to cancer, it is something you just have to cope with”.
Demetra Papadema looks the part as sultry, seductive Mrs Robinson from The Graduate, and Anastasia Stylianou is portrayed as a very fit female clone of John Travolta in the movie Saturday Night Fever. Alex Michael acts the role of Jimmy the mod in Quadraphenia along with a very tasty looking Chantel Staples.
Two sizzlers are shown in the form of Chrissy Christou as Jacqueline Bisset in the movie The Deep, and Maria Jones fully embraces the role made famous by Sophia Loren in Marriage Italian Style. Maria O Shea then struts her stuff as singer Sally Bowles played by Liza Minnelli from the movie Cabaret.
Stage 4 lung cancer patient Elisabeth Reinbold is currently taking part in a drugs trial in Germany but is seen in the calendar with vintage car re-enacting one of the many shooting scenes from Bonnie and Clyde, and Barbara Conlin gets to express her ‘inner biker’ astride an American style chopper as a fan of Easy Rider. Helen Hunt then brings her alter ego to the fore as M from Casino Royale. “I’m normally a very shy person,” she said, “but here I am as M in James Bond so it is my alter ego speaking and that is the way I have dealt with cancer. It is just something that has to be dealt with”. She is followed by a great shot of a very lithe Katerina Avramides from Kill Bill.
Each month also shows a picture of the person as they are now without the make-up and styling in addition to saying what type of cancer they have been treated for and the date they were diagnosed. The finished product is dedicated to the memory of local opera singer Marilena Solomou who died this year from breast cancer.
For €10, the calendar is available from Hearn’s bookshop in Paphos, Orphanides supermarkets and Gan Direct offices island wide, and from the cancer charities offices. All monies generated from sales will be split between cancer charities around the island
