ON NOVEMBER 22, Cyprus will be hosting the 6th annual Junior Eurovision song contest. Over the next few weeks, Eurovision fever looks set to sweep across Cyprus again, leaving in its wake thousands of screaming young boys and girls.
The hype and excitement surrounding the contest has been captured by a film, which had its premiere in Cyprus this week.
‘Sounds like Teen spirit’, a popumentary, is a slick, well-crafted piece, which draws in the audience, leaving them wanting more.
The feature length documentary not only takes a look at the behind the scenes shenanigans of Junior Eurovision, but features four contestants from very different parts of Europe. They all have one thing in common, their desire to sing, perform and be famous.
Director Jamie Johnson told the Cyprus Mail, “It’s behind the scenes of the Junior Eurovision, and it’s the children’s journeys towards the final last year.”
He added, “It was a lot of fun, tears, laughter and every emotion you could imagine. The film is all about last year’s contest, and growing up in Europe and being a kid. It’s not so much about the winning and losing; it’s about their passions and their hopes.”
The film is so much more than that. The crew couldn’t predict who would make it through from the 17 participating countries’ selections, so they travelled from Belarus to the Ukraine, Cyprus to Belgium and Malta to Sweden. The finals were held in Rotterdam.
We get to know 14-year-old Marina from Bulgaria, rock group ‘Trust’ from Belgium, who are all 15, Mariam a 13- year- old from Georgia, and 10-year-old Greek Cypriot Giorgos.
The film is sensitively edited, and the kids share their lives and innermost thoughts with the audience. Their songs, in line with the competition rules, must be written by them, and reflect teenage angst and troubles. The film uncovers the life of a young person in Europe today, and doesn’t shy away from showing some parts, which make uncomfortable viewing.
‘Smells like teen spirit’ is a comic and moving film, which unmasks the smiles and energy demanded by performing live in front of 6,000 people, and watched by 12 million across the world, and gets to the crux of what it’s like being a teenager today.
George Ioannides, is now nearly 13 years old, and represented Cyprus in last year’s competition. During the film, he openly chats about being bullied at school, and is a talented child who stole the hearts of all the audience.
He told the Cyprus Mail, “I don’t fit in at school, and still find it hard to fit in with boys. I still love singing and like listening to Bryan Adams.”
And what would he like to do when he’s older?
“It’s the hardest thing to do to want to be famous; there are so many people who want a chance to do something like this. Up to now I’m very happy with my opportunities, but I would like to do something maybe in America or England when I grow up. I like doing everything, singing, dancing, and acting.”
Junior Eurovision is gaining in popularity and setting a higher standard with every passing year. Cyprus has been chosen as this year’s host nation, and the show will be the biggest television show Cyprus has ever broadcast.
Executive producer of the TV event, Munro Forbes, told the Cyprus Mail,
“I worked at the BBC and ITV in the UK for 25 years, and decided I wanted to try something new. I went to Romania to train television production staff, and was approached by Cyprus television, who asked me to come here for two weeks to train staff.”
He continued, “they then asked me to stay for a further two years, and we managed to achieve this commission for Junior Eurovision, so I decided to stay for a further year.
“As the shows’ executive producer, I’m responsible for delivering a polished television to be broadcast across the globe,” he commented.
Junior Eurovision is the biggest music show for kids in the world, and the spectacular event, which will take place in Limassol, has taken one and a half years of planning.
“We’ve learnt a lot from the Netherlands, who hosted last year, said Forbes, “and we had guidance from the European Broadcasting Union.”
“I’m pleased so many people have enjoyed the movie and hope they watch the actual event from Limassol in November.”
Junior Eurovision is a spin-off from the adult version, which has been going for more than half a century.
Svante Stockselius of the EBU confirmed that strict ethical rules apply to the youngsters contesting, and heavy make-up and bare flesh are not permitted.
“We don’t want the children to emulate adults,” he said. “The contest is friendly, and it’s for talented children. We must ensure they’re protected and aren’t exploited in any way.
“However,” he underlined, “we must remember that it’s still a competition.”
Elena Mannouri & Charis Savva will be representing Cyprus at this year’s competition, performing ‘Gioupi Gia.’
To find out more about this year’s contest go to www.junioreurovision.tv
Smells like Teen Spirit received its world premiere this September at the Toronto International Film Festival, and will soon be released as a cinema and TV feature.
The film is made by Emmy, BAFTA and Academy Award winning UK film production company, Number 9 Films which has had numerous credits including: The Company of Wolves, The Crying Game, Absolute Beginners, Mona Lisa, Scandal, Intermission, Interview with a Vampire, Little Voice, Ladies in Lavender and most recently How to Lose Friends and Alienate People.
