Apart
A refugee bride from Cyprus finds love in apartheid South Africa, until a secret from her past changes everything.
In 1974, when Turkey invades Cyprus, young Eleni leaves her homeland through an arranged marriage and finds herself in apartheid South Africa, swapping one divided country for another. There, a new life with Nico slowly turns into love, until an unexpected friendship forces her to confront a secret from her past.
Inspired by the real experiences of her refugee parents, South African Cypriot filmmaker Stelana Kliris has created a deeply personal story about displacement, borders, and human connections that overcome them. Set between Cyprus and South Africa, “Apart” brings the turbulent 1970s vividly to life through a distinctly female perspective.
With Leem Lubany, Luca Pasqualino, and Girley Jazama delivering outstanding performances, breathtaking locations, wonderful camerawork, and terrific music, “Apart” is both intimate and cinematic.
With this very personal and ambitious film, Stelana Kliris has delivered a deeply moving cinematic ode to humanity, a film that will stay with you long after the final frame.
And that is exactly why “Apart” is the Opening Film of this year’s Critics’ Picks. We are convinced it will stay a part of your life forever.
Nikolaj Nikitin
Biography
Stelana Kliris is a South African-Cypriot writer-director-producer based in Nicosia. The daughter of refugees, she is one of the few female filmmakers in Cyprus and is best known for her feature “Find Me Falling” (2024). It became the first Cypriot film to premiere on Netflix. As a producer, she aims to support local filmmakers, women in particular. As a writer-director she is currently developing several new projects under her production company Meraki Films. She is the president of the Directors Guild of Cyprus, a member of the European Women’s Audiovisual Network (EWA), a graduate of the 2018 EAVE Producers Workshop, and was selected for the prestigious European Film Promotion’s “Producers on the Move” 2023 programme in Cannes.
Filmography
Committed (2014), Find Me Falling (2024), Apart (2026)