The shooting of the movie "Jiu Jitsu" with the actor Nicolas Cage in the caves of Mammari is expected to be completed next Thursday, and then the crew will have shooting in the caves in Lympia, while other areas in Cyprus will follow. The production of the film wants shooting in locations such as the Sea Caves of Cape Greco, the Liopetri River and the abandoned and ruined village of Souskiou in the Diarizos Valley in Paphos.
As in the case of the Mammari caves which is a Natura 2000 area for bats and the other areas where the production wishes to shoot are part of the Natura 2000 Network.
For the three areas the production has been addressed to the competent services of Environment, Forests and Thera, in order to secure approval and the answers are pending.
Regarding the case of the caves in the village of Mammari, the relevant approval was given to the Production Director of the Hollywood film on June 7 by the Department of Environment. Based on the permit, the preparation and shooting would take place in five days.
However, it seems that the shooting will take almost two weeks. In the caves of Mammari there are five different species of bats, with special protection measures. Particular reference to the permit is given in a specific article of the law on the protection and management of nature and wildlife concerning species of fauna of Community interest, noting that "in the area of their natural distribution, any intentional capture or killing of species is prohibited fauna of Community interest… ".
The exact place where the shooting is allowed has been set and this only concerns the first cave up to a specific point. It is noted that before the licensing, officials of the Geological Survey Department visited the area where some points dangerous for landslides were indicated and in which no shooting will take place.
The terms state that people inside and outside the cave should be kept to a minimum, while the same applies to workshops and production cars that must be parked away from the cave. Thus, in the area of the cave is the minimum equipment required for shooting and the rest are located in the village square.
Also, the noise should be minimal. For control purposes, the specific preparation hours have been announced, while during the shooting, whether they take place day or night, an official of the Department of Environment is present.
Regarding the nuisance of the bats, the Department of Environment estimates that it is reversible and they will return to their caves after the end of the shooting. The space will be restored after the shooting.
Source: Philenews / Angelos Nikolaou