THE recent history of Cyprus makes a sorry tale of conflicts, atrocities, and unresolved injustices. The Divided Island (Cert. 15) considers the causes of civil strife between Greek and Turkish residents since the 1960s. It is a familiar scenario: for centuries, different ethnic groups peacefully co-exist within a country, and then suddenly there is an outbreak of dissent, with vicious consequences.

One Greek Cypriot woman in this documentary, whose family and community suffered enormously, reminds us how hatred breeds hatred. A trauma therapist points out that there will never be peace when raging parties insist on their alone being right. A journalist who, for decades, has been investigating cases of missing persons believes that hiding the crimes means hiding the criminals. There can be no peace while this remains the situation.

Little is mentioned in the film about any religious differences. Archbishop Makarios III inevitably features as Primate of Cyprus and the country’s first President (1960-77). He led the struggle for enosis (union) with Greece. Later, witnessing the ferocity of civil strife, he worked for integration of both communities, only to be forced into acquiescing in the establishment of a separate Turkish jurisdiction. His political judgement has been subject to much criticism.

The film, however, mainly places its emphasis on understanding the harm done to ordinary people; and it looks for signs of hope in those who work for peace and build up the common life.