The first trailer for Apart introduces a young Cypriot woman whose attempt to build a life in South Africa is threatened by a secret rooted in her past.
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Written and directed by South African Cypriot filmmaker Stelana Kliris, the drama will have its world premiere at the 30th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, where it is set to open the Critics’ Picks section. The trailer debuted through The Hollywood Reporter.
Leem Lubany stars as Eleni, with Luca Pasqualino playing Nico. Girley Jazama also appears in the film. Lubany’s credits include Omar and Rock the Kasbah, while Pasqualino has appeared in Rivals and The Musketeers. Jazama’s credits include Under the Hanging Tree and The White Line.
From Cyprus to Apartheid South Africa
The story begins in 1974, when Turkey invades Cyprus. Eleni leaves her homeland through an arranged marriage and arrives in Apartheid South Africa, moving from one divided country to another.
Her new life with Nico gradually develops into love. But an unexpected friendship pushes Eleni toward a reckoning with the secret she has carried from her past, placing questions of identity and belonging at the center of the drama.
Although the story moves between Cyprus and South Africa, Apart was filmed in Cyprus. Kliris uses Eleni’s experience to explore the upheaval of the 1970s from a female perspective, with scenes set in South Africa interwoven with flashbacks to the character’s Cypriot past.
The project is particularly personal for Kliris, who drew inspiration from the experiences of her refugee parents. The filmmaker said she had long been struck by the fact that they emigrated from Cyprus to South Africa, leaving one divided society only to settle in another.
“I wanted to translate this into a film that challenges the idea of ‘us’ and ‘them,’” Kliris said, explaining that while the central storyline is fictional, individual events surrounding it came from real events.
Kliris described Apart as an intimate, character-led film whose visual approach reflects both locations and two different periods. While war and Apartheid form the historical background, she said the movie’s focus on love, friendship and identity is intended to create a more personal experience.
A Festival Launch for Kliris’ Personal Drama
Tallinn Black Nights has positioned Apart prominently by selecting it to launch its Critics’ Picks program. The festival’s website calls the film a “deeply moving cinematic ode to humanity” and says it will remain with audiences beyond its final frame.
The world premiere marks another significant platform for Kliris, whose earlier films include Find Me Falling and Committed. Find Me Falling became the first Cypriot film to premiere on Netflix.
Behind the camera, Simon Sarketzis serves as cinematographer and Emilios Avraam edited the film. Kliris produced alongside Susan Simnett, Jamie Harvey and Ioanna Bolomyti. Reinvent Yellow Sales is handling sales.
ShowBiz Take
Apart stands out because its large historical forces are filtered through one woman’s intimate journey. The premise does not treat Cyprus and South Africa as separate settings alone; it connects them through Eleni’s movement between two societies marked by division.
That structure also gives the title added thematic weight. Physical borders, emotional distance and the lines separating communities all shape a story that Kliris says is ultimately about human connection. The mixture of a fictional central narrative and events drawn from real experiences gives the film a personal foundation without presenting Eleni’s story as a direct account of the filmmaker’s family history.
With its arranged-marriage premise, developing romance and unresolved secret, the movie places personal choices against the pressures of war, displacement and Apartheid. Its festival selection now gives that story an international first showcase.
What Happens Next?
Apart will receive its world premiere at the 30th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and open the festival’s Critics’ Picks section. Beyond that festival launch, no additional release plans are confirmed in the supplied information.