Cyprus: Once Now
14/10, Tuesday, 18:00, Rialto Theatre
Each of these documentaries examines, in its own distinct way, the interplay between past and present. They delve into contemporary Cypriots’ relationship with so-called "traditional" values, the evolving social fabric, and their connection to a rapidly changing world—all within the dynamic context of Cyprus itself.
Curated by the National Pre-selection Committee (Adonis Florides, Doros Demetriou, Yianna Americanou, Peter Cerovšek).
Plots of Land, Marks of Stitching
Phemia Demosthenous
22’, 2024, Cyprus
Documentary, Experimental
Synopsis
An experimental documentary exploring what it has meant to be Cypriot, and what it means today. Through personal family conversations about land ownership, migration, and manual labour, the filmmaker seeks to liberate a Cypriot identity at risk of being lost.
KAIMAKLI
Nikandros Savvides
13’, 2024, Cyprus
Documentary
Synopsis
The historic neighbourhood of Kaimakli stands as a poignant symbol of coexistence and resilience in a divided capital. The documentary explores the lives of locals and refugees, bringing together stories of belonging in a space shaped by history, conflict, and hope.
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Float
Meli Vasiloudes Bayada
9’, 2025, Cyprus
Documentary, Experimental
Synopsis
Which body of water is yours? This experimental documentary explores our embodied relationship with the waters that unite and separate us, and asks who holds the power to shape how bodies move across them. Through movement, memory and loss, it traces the intimate and political tides between bodies and borders, asking who casts the anchor—and who is left adrift.
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SYMPRAXIS: Livathkia and Canes
Christina Skarpari
30’, 2025, Cyprus
Documentary
Synopsis
In this film, artisans Chrystoulla and Pericles Gavriel sustain endangered crafts of cane weaving. Filmed via feminist, collaborative methods, the practice reveals slowness, reciprocity, and the fragility of care, while reimagining heritage as a shared, living, and ecologically sensitive practice.
Remy in Cyprus
Christina Hadjizachariou
17’, 2025, Cyprus
Documentary
Synopsis
Remy is not from Cyprus. Remy cleans. Remy sings. She has five kids to raise on her own back in the Philippines. In Cyprus, she has spent a lifetime that she wishes had been different.
Chat GPT Told Me
Nafsika Hadjichristou
9’, 2024, Cyprus
Documentary, Experimental
Synopsis
Quarter diary, scrapbook, letter, and travel log, this experimental short emerged from a film letter workshop and a conversation with an AI chatbot. Through personal stream of consciousness, it reflects on memory, grief, colonialism, and digital-age intimacy and disconnection.
