World premiere

Elena's Shift

Local title
Elena kord
Original title
Elena's Shift
Director
Stefanos Tsivopoulos
Country
Greece
Year
2025
Festival
29th Black Nights Film Festival
Programme
First Feature Competition
Genre
Drama, Social drama
Subject
familial relationships, LGBTQ, belonging, motherhood, migration, activism

Driven by love and struggle, Elena dares to live fully, fight with dignity, and embrace freedom.

Elena, a Romanian single mother in Athens, dreams of a better future and a sense of belonging she has long been denied. When she is unjustly fired, her fragile world collapses, and her long-suppressed activist spirit awakens. Determined to seek justice, she turns to Yota, a charismatic lawyer, and discovers a bond that rekindles her desire to live, to open her heart, and to raise her head with dignity. As Elena confronts systemic injustice and fights to reclaim her voice, she will have to courageously decide what matters most: her family, her ideals, or the chance to love again.

“Elena’s Shift” highlights the challenges of cultural integration, a poignant story of a woman regaining her strength, her rights, and her agency, set against a society shaped by austerity and displacement; a female-centred tale brought to life through a masterful performance.

Fabio Tucci

Director
Stefanos Tsivopoulos
Screenwriter
Stefanos Tsivopoulos
Cast
Maria Dragus, Penelope Tsilika, Filippos Sklikas, Rodica Lazar, Macrina Barladeanu, Maria Kallimani
Producer
Nikos Smpiliris, Stefanos Tsivopoulos, Angelo Venetis, Iraklis Mavroides
Cinematographer
Konstantinos Koukoulios
Production Design
Giorgos Georgiou
Editing
Stamos Dimitropoulos
Music
Mick Pedaja
Sound
Xenofon Kontopoulos
Production
Boo Productions S.A
Runtime
Language
Greek, Romanian, Russian
Subtitles
Estonian, English
Director
Stefanos Tsivopoulos

Stefanos Tsivopoulos (1973) was born in Prague to an Iranian mother and a Greek father. He is a visual artist, filmmaker and writer who lives and works between Athens and Amsterdam. As a teenager he was interested in theatre but being too shy, he ended up studying painting and set design in the Fine Arts Academy in Athens. Afterwards he moved to Amsterdam and studied video art and installations at Gerrit Rietveld Academy. His film works include short films titled “Amnesialand” (2010, directed and co-written), “History Zero” (2014) and “Object Reconnaissance” (2024). He’s the founder and co-director of Artists for Artists (AfA), an online non-profit educational organization.

Filmography:
Untitled (The Remake) (2007, short), Amnesialand (2010, short), Lost Monument (2012, short), History Zero (2014, short), Glow in the Dark (2017, doc), The Cardinal (2023, short), Object Reconnaissance (2024, short), Elena's Shift (2025)

Award for the best film, grant of 5000€ by

Screenings

2nd Hall Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
Screening090218 / Elena kord
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian
Q&A duration
Screening duration
Trailer