Magenta TV’s Cypriot-Set Thriller ‘Brothers’ Wasn’t Allowed To Shoot In The Country. The Producers Explain Why: “The Reasons Were Political”
News Source
•Sat, 07 Nov 2026 14:43:39 +0000
📰 What Happened
Producers of the new series Brothers say they were not allowed to film in Cyprus, where the story is set. The six-part thriller is set in Nicosia and follows a Turkish Cypriot and a Greek Cypriot detective working with a bank auditor.
Producer Fenia Cossovitsa said the team applied for a Cyprus cash rebate in August 2025. In December they were told verbally that the ministry could not support the project, just before production began. She said the reasons were political.
The series was shot in Germany, Luxembourg and Greece instead. It is now in post-production and is expected on MagentaTV within a year.
🔍 The Backstory
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded after a Greek-backed coup. A buffer zone splits Nicosia, the last divided capital in Europe. Greek and Turkish Cypriots live on either side.
Cyprus offers some of the highest film tax credits in Europe, which makes it attractive to producers. Losing access raised costs and forced the team to rebuild Nicosia sets elsewhere.
🎯 Why It Matters
The case shows how politics can shape which stories get told. It also matters to crews and businesses in Cyprus that lose out when a big production goes elsewhere.
Producers of the new series Brothers say they were not allowed to film in Cyprus, where the story is set. The six-part thriller is set in Nicosia and follows a Turkish Cypriot and a Greek Cypriot detective working with a bank auditor.
Producer Fenia Cossovitsa said the team applied for a Cyprus cash rebate in August 2025. In December they were told verbally that the ministry could not support the project, just before production began. She said the reasons were political.
The series was shot in Germany, Luxembourg and Greece instead. It is now in post-production and is expected on MagentaTV within a year.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded after a Greek-backed coup. A buffer zone splits Nicosia, the last divided capital in Europe. Greek and Turkish Cypriots live on either side.
Cyprus offers some of the highest film tax credits in Europe, which makes it attractive to producers. Losing access raised costs and forced the team to rebuild Nicosia sets elsewhere.
The case shows how politics can shape which stories get told. It also matters to crews and businesses in Cyprus that lose out when a big production goes elsewhere.