‘Apart,’ Set in Cyprus and Apartheid South Africa, “Challenges the Idea of ‘Us’ and ‘Them’” (Exclusive Tallinn Trailer)
Stelana Kliris’s film *Apart* follows a young woman who leaves divided Cyprus during the 1974 invasion and arrives in apartheid South Africa through an arranged marriage. The story explores displacement, belonging and human connection across two societies shaped by division.
Starring Leem Lubany, Luca Pasqualino and Girley Jazama, the film moves between South Africa and flashbacks to Cyprus, drawing on the real experiences of Kliris’s refugee parents. Its central plot is fictional, though the filmmaker says individual events are based on real ones; *Apart* will have its world premiere at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and open its Critics’ Picks section.
In short
- A Cypriot woman leaves home for apartheid South Africa in 1974.
- *Apart* explores belonging, identity and connections across divided societies.
- The film draws on director Stelana Kliris’s family history.
Explained simply
Cyprus was divided by fighting in 1974, when Turkey’s military intervention led many people to flee their homes. South Africa was then governed by apartheid, a system that enforced racial separation and denied most rights to the Black majority.
Apart follows a fictional Cypriot refugee who moves to South Africa through an arranged marriage. Its director, Stelana Kliris, has said the film draws on her refugee parents’ experiences, while its characters and central story are fictional. By placing the two settings side by side, the film explores how people seek belonging and connection in societies shaped by division.
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