Love letters to Cyprus

Doing the things she loves and showcasing the island to the world are what drive a local filmmaker finds PAUL LAMBIS

With the completion of her second full-length feature The Islander – a large local production filmed in Cyprus as a collaboration with America – writer, director and producer Stelana Kliris shows no signs of slowing down as she is already embarking on two new projects.

The Islander, a romantic comedy about a disgraced rock star who moves to an isolated clifftop house on the Mediterranean, only to discover that his new home has an unfortunate notoriety that brings with it unwanted visitors and an old flame, stars American actor Harry Connick Jr. of Will and Grace fame, Agni Scott, and Ali Fumiko Whitney, as well as a local cast that includes Tony Demetriou, Lea Maleni and Angeliki Philippidou.

“It is a feel-good, romantic dramedy about human connection,” Stelana told the Cyprus Mail. “I was inspired by an Australian newspaper article about an elderly man who lived on top of a cliff, which was a suicide hotspot, who saved many lives by inviting people into his home and by helping them.

“I thought it would be interesting to make my protagonist a misanthrope,” she explained. “Someone who does not want to be around people but is forced to participate in life and reconnect with others.”

Stelana said her film had been in the works since 2015, and like many others that faced multiple challenges through the pandemic, it likewise faced delays, filming restrictions, and disruptions until it was given the green light in 2022.

“I reached out to a personal contact of mine in Los Angeles who connected me with my US producers, and I managed to put together a great team, one that included American producers Keith Arnold, Steve Shapiro, and the local production company Green Olive Films,” Stelana said.

“The entire process was phenomenal, and I could not have done it without the support of our co-producer the Deputy Ministry of Culture, which was there for me from the script phase, as well as the Cyprus Film Commission through the rebate scheme.”

Of course, Stelana recognises that it takes a village to pull together a film of this magnitude, which would not have been possible without her incredible crew, which included professionals from Cyprus, Greece and the United States.

Since relocating to Cyprus from South Africa, Stelana has taken on multiple roles in local productions, although she is most at home when directing or producing. Her debut full-length feature Committed was screened around the world in 2014 and earned outstanding reviews. It was even optioned for a remake in the United States, “which was a wonderful validation for the film.”

In an unexpected turn of events, Stelana met her future husband, the lead actor’s brother, at the film’s premiere, and they married in 2016. “It was a film that explored relationship issues, fears of commitment, and love, and I ended up getting married,” she said.

Through her film production company, Meraki Films, Stelana aims to showcase authentic stories to a worldwide audience, “with a little love letter to Cyprus hidden somewhere in between.”

“Cyprus is a very special place. It is my parents’ home, and while I consider South Africa to be my home as well, I love Cyprus, and it is here that I want to live, work, and promote the island through my films,” she added.

As far as she can remember, Stelana has always been fascinated by movies, theatre, and writing. Growing up “in front of the television,” she became involved in the realm of visual narratives and understood she, too, could be a storyteller. “It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do, and when I started working in the film industry and discovered the fabulous variety of people involved, as well as the unique marriage of art, science, technology, and music, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

Despite her successful producing experience, Stelana’s real interest is directing and writing. She recently took part in the international Owl Screenwriting Workshop, which was organised by the Athens Film Office, and was awarded at the Cannes Film Festival in the category Best Series for her work on the series Unexpected. “It’s one of my favourite scripts, and I’m delighted and hopeful that it will find a home soon.

“I always believe that you should have a few things running in parallel because you never know which one will go forward,” Stelana said. At the moment, that means two projects, one of which is called Apart from Her. “It is a story set in the 1970s between Cyprus and South Africa, focusing on the 1974 war in Cyprus and the 1976 Soweto uprisings in South Africa.”

She will also be producing My Name is Lily, a story about an intersex person written and directed by award-winning local filmmaker Yianna Americanou.

She is clearly making a mark in Cyprus’ fledgling film industry, transforming the scene for future filmmakers. “I am inspired by Nelson Mandela’s words: ‘There is no passion to be found in playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living,’ and it’s not about winning the Oscar, though that would be nice; it’s about finding a balance between your personal life and work, doing the things you love, and showcasing our beautiful island to the world.”