Park City, United States. The Greek-language Cyprus feature film “Hold Onto Me” will premiere later this month at the Sundance Film Festival, marking the first Cypriot feature selected for the festival’s official competition. The drama follows a young girl and her estranged father as they attempt to reconnect and move beyond the past.
First Cypriot feature in Sundance official competition
Directed by Cypriot filmmaker Myrsini Aristidou, “Hold Onto Me” has been selected for the World Cinema Dramatic Competition category. Aristidou told the Cyprus Mail that the premiere signals that “our stories have the power to resonate globally,” noting that while there have been partly Cypriot entries before, this is the first Cypriot feature film to be included in Sundance’s official competition.
Story themes and creative approach
The film focuses on redemption, acceptance and reconnection, and continues the emotional focus seen in Aristidou’s earlier work, including the shorts “Semele” and “Aria.” Aristidou described her work as layered, saying, “I see my work as a series of layers; where the shorts are initial sketches, this feature film is the full canvas but carries the same DNA.”
Festival debut and independent filmmaking
The film is set to debut on January 26. Aristidou said she hopes the festival will validate the independent spirit on the island, where filmmaking is often treated as a labour of love and requires perseverance. She added that the film reflects years of observation, and that she was happy to have spent years crafting the characters, saying it “takes a lot to sit through their slow, difficult transitions without rushing to a resolution”.
Audience and emotional focus
Aristidou said the film is aimed at viewers drawn to emotionally driven, character-centred drama. She said it may particularly resonate with those who have experienced the shift from childhood idealisation to a more complex understanding of their parents, and that viewers who recognise the influence of early family relationships on attachment and personal identity may gain a new appreciation for the film.
Cyprus setting and depiction of transition
All filming was completed on the island, and the film is tied to Cyprus through both geography and what Aristidou described as its psychological climate. The main character, 11-year-old Iris, is presented as representing Cyprus as “small, often overlooked and looking for her place in the world,” and carrying the weight of a complex and unresolved history.
Aristidou said a state of permanent transition is central to the film, reflecting a view of Cyprus as “caught between traditional heritage and the globalised identity of youth.” She said this is expressed through textures such as harsh midday sun, the stillness of a summer afternoon, and the use of silence “as a protective layer,” adding: “It captures a society that is trying to heal from old wounds while simultaneously facing the anxieties of the present.”
International exposure and audience reception
As the premiere approaches, Aristidou said the excitement of international attention is accompanied by vulnerability. She described this as “a strange and beautiful dichotomy,” pointing to the idea that a story from a small Cypriot neighbourhood will be shown in the mountains of Park City, while also engaging international audiences with personal questions about family, identity and belonging.
What aspects of “Hold Onto Me” are you most interested in seeing explored at its Sundance premiere?
