Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus’ longstanding festival dedicated to documentary cinema will return from August 1 to 8, presenting a curated selection of films at Ceronia Hall – Lanitis Carob Mill.
The programme includes award-winning documentaries, established directors and emerging voices from Cyprus and abroad, addressing social issues, displacement, identity, art and contemporary life.
Opening film and stories of displacement
The festival will open with One in a Million, directed by Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes. The documentary follows a young Syrian woman’s journey from the streets of Izmir to Germany, examining cultural barriers, displacement, inner conflict and differing perspectives within her family.
A Fox Under a Pink Moon, by Mehrdad Oskouei, centres on a 16-year-old Afghan refugee seeking a better life. The film follows her experiences of fear, uncertainty and violence, while portraying art, painting and sculpture as a refuge and a path to freedom.
Relationships and identity
Birds of War, directed by Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak, is a love story set against the backdrop of the Middle East. Boulos, a London-based journalist of Lebanese descent covering the Syrian civil war, and Habak, a Syrian activist and cinematographer, develop an emotional bond from an initially long-distance professional relationship.
The Georgian documentary A Song Without Home, by Rati Tsiteladze, portrays Adelina, a young trans woman seeking identity and balance away from her homeland. After 11 years of confinement in conservative Georgia, she moves to Vienna, where she finds work, discovers dance and builds a new life.
Film history and artistic practice
Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders, directed by Jeffrey Schwarz, examines William Friedkin’s 1980s thriller Cruising. Starring Al Pacino, the film follows an investigation into murders targeting gay men and drew controversy upon its release over its portrayal of New York’s gay scene.
In Hell With Ivo, by Kristina Nikolova, follows musician, dancer, activist and performance artist Ivo Dimchev after he leaves conservative Bulgaria for New York in search of greater freedom. The documentary presents his work across artistic mediums and his pursuit of a creative vision.
Bull’s Heart, directed by Eva Stefani, records Dimitris Papaioannou’s artistic process and choreographic practice. Filmed over two years in Paris, London, Vilnius and San Francisco, it follows the development of Transverse Orientation from its creation through to its performance.