Monday, 8th February 2009
Dear Managing Director,
I hope this letter finds you well and in good health.
It has recently been brought to my attention that this month (Friday, February 26th, 2010 to be exact), a film titled 'a name is a name' shall be shown at your cinemas.
While the Australian Macedonian Advisory Council (AMAC) and the larger Australian-Greek community welcomes artistic ventures and festivities which testify and represent the cultural diversity of Australia, it cannot sanction the use of material which promotes propaganda and highly insensitive material which may insite ethnic tension in an otherwise harmonious society. On its website (www.anameisaname.com) the film itself states that:
"A cross between a documentary and a feature film, A Name is a Name is instead, a classic ‘road film', made largely on the proverbial and literal road over a period of seven months in the Republic of Macedonia. At its heart, the film is about a group of people who call themselves Macedonians and what it means to them to be known as such."
Australia does not recognize this country as "Macedonia", but uses the internationally reknown name (UN, NATO, EU) of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). (http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/47/a47r225.htm).
All Australians should endorse the policy of the Australian and Greek governments in their support for a negotiated solution to the 'name dispute' between Greece and FYROM. This includes an end to all propaganda that threatens the territorial integrity of Greece and the security of its citizens. Therefore, we strongly advise that you do not screen this film in your cinema, as it indirectly promotes a long term goal of the creation of a so called “United Macedonia”. This “new” made-up state would incorporate the Greek province of Macedonia, as well as parts of Bulgaria, Albania and Serbia. We look forward to your correspondence and co-operation in due course.
Sincerely Yours,
Australian Macedonian Advisory Council