As part of the cultural programme of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026, two acclaimed Cypriot films will be screened in Vienna at Stadtkino Cinema on March 26, 2026.
The event presents the feature documentary When the Swallows Fall Silent (2025) and the short fiction film Milk - Rose (2023), both produced by Walking Around the World, in co-production with the Deputy Ministry of Culture of Cyprus highlighting themes of memory, identity, displacement and urban transformation - issues deeply connected with the broader European experience.
When the Swallows Fall Silent
63’, Feature Documentary, 2025
The documentary When the Swallows Fall Silent explores the struggle of people to preserve their identity and neighborhood in the face of modernisation pressures. Set in an old town undergoing rapid change, the film unfolds a moving narrative around the historic Faneromeni School and the iconic “Matthaios” restaurant, where history and the precious traditions of the past clash with the forces of urban transformation. It is a battle against adversity in a neighbourhood that is no longer the same.
In 2008, for the purposes of an earlier documentary, the filmmakers recorded the daily lives of students at Faneromeni Primary School in the heart of Old Nicosia. After completing that work, an idea was born: to return every 15 years to the same neighborhood and characters.
The film by Constantinos Patsalides and George Avraam had its world premiere at the 2025 Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, in the Platform+ category. It was also screened at this year’s Panorama of Contemporary Greek and Cypriot Cinema in Paris.
It was screened for three weeks at KCINEPLEX Nicosia.
It was also presented in a commercial theatrical run at Danaos Cinema in Athens, as well as at Arthouse Crouch End in London, Le Grand Action in Paris and Zita Folkets Bio in Stockholm.
In January 2026, it was an Official Selection in the competitive section (LAGFF DOC 2026) at the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival.
A Walking Around the World production, co-financed by the Deputy Ministry of Culture of Cyprus.
Milk – Rose
15’, Short Fiction Film, 2023
The film tells the story of an elderly refugee from the occupied village of Vatili, who, trying to overcome the isolation of his life, decides to escape.
Cast: Spyros Stavrinides, Andri Theodotou, Yola Kleitou, Christos Avraam
Director: Constantinos Patsalides Written & Produced by: George Avraam
The film had its world premiere at the International Short Film Festival of Cyprus 2023 and was an official selection at the San Francisco Greek Film Festival 2024. The film receive the audience award in Calabria festival screenings.
It is currently distributed in the United States by 7Palms Entertainment.
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