Portrait of young artist ‘Apolonia, Apolonia’ to open Lemesos International Documentary Festival

The 18th Lemesos International Documentary Festival is set to kick off this coming Tuesday, August 1 at 8:30 pm with a screening of the awarded documentary Apolonia, Apolonia.

A co-production between Denmark, Poland and France, the picture tells the story of talented Apolonia Sokol, who is trying to find her place in the art world, as told by filmmaker Lea Glob, who followed Sokol over a period of 13 years.

After the screening, the opening event will continue with a live music performance by Erika Soteri and her band at 10:30 pm.

The 18th Lemesos International Documentary Festival will take place between 1 to 8 August at the Lanitis Carob Mill, with daily screenings of feature-length documentaries.

The Broken Pitcher

During the festival, there will be a looped screening of the film The Broken Pitcher (69’ – free entrance) by Natascha Sadr Haghighian, Marina Christodoulidou and Peter Eramian. The documentary traces the effects of financialisation and austerity in Cyprus, through a meeting at a bank, negotiating the foreclosure of a family home in Larnaca, in 2019.

Inspired by Abbas Kiarostami’s film First Case – Second Case (1979, Iran), the filmed re-enactment of the bank meeting is shown to people from various backgrounds who are asked to respond to the question: “In your opinion what should the bank employees do?”. The responses encompass perspectives of people from different interest groups in Cyprus and beyond, including housing rights activists in Barcelona, Berlin and Beirut, persons similarly affected by these policies, public figures, lawyers, economists and artists.

The Broken Pitcher will be presented in response to the foreclosures expected to take place in Cyprus, while also situating the case in relation to the colonial history of finance, debt and property.

The film starts at the following slots, and is screening on a walk-in basis: 19:00-20:10, 20:15-21:25, 21:30-22:40.

On August 1, an opening screening in the presence of the directors will take place.

Still from The Broken Pitcher.

Tickets:

€5 per film, €35 Festival Pass (for all screenings).

Online Pre-sale:

https://www.soldoutticketbox.com/18th-lemesos-international-documentary-film-festival/?lang=el

Tickets will also be available at the door.

Box Office Operation: 6 pm – 10:30 pm.

Programme of screenings: www.filmfestival.com.cy.