LETTERS TO CYPRUS

 In Competition

Directed by Sholeh Zahraei, Kamil Saldun
Short / 24’ 44” / 2014
Cast: Şirin Zaferyıldızı, Taraneh Hafizi, Şenay Aktuğ, Mustafa Zaimağaoğlu, Bahar Digeş, Kamil Saldun, Oya Akın Cemile Rana Ünver, Ahmet Zelzele

Synopsis

It is year 2016. Cyprus has come to peace and is reunited. A Cypriot woman returns back to her home that she was forced to leave alongside her belongings, due to the war in 1974. An emotional and painful journey to the past begins where she is forced to confront bittersweet memories and the aftermath of war. 42 years of waiting for peace are over now… This film is based on original letters from 1974 that were sent from UK to Cyprus in the occasion of pen-friendship between a young British girl and a Cypriot girl.

Sholeh ZAHRAEI

Sholeh Zahraei was born in Tehran, grew up in Berlin, and studied Digital Filmmaking in Amsterdam. Later she moved to Cyprus where she graduated with a BA (Hons) from the Department of Radio, Television and Film and pursued her Master’s degree in the Department of Visual Arts & Visual Communication Design in Famagusta, Cyprus. Since 2005, she has produced several short films such as experimental, fiction, documentary, video clips and TV ads. She has gained film experience on film sets in Germany, Holland, USA, Canada, UK, Turkey, Cyprus and Iran where she has worked with renowned directors like Jafar Panahi, Bahram Beyzaie and Derviş Zaim. Her short films have won awards at international film festivals. Besides film, singing and photography are other parts of her artistic life. Since 2010 she also works on underwater photography and film.

Kamil SALDUN

Kamil Saldun was born in Cyprus, in the city of Famagusta. He graduated from the Faculty of Art and Science, Department of History in 2008. Later he obtained his Master's Degree from the Faculty of Education in Famagusta, Cyprus. Since 1999 he is involved in theater as an actor. He has worked with several theater groups in Cyprus participating in many international theater festivals in Cyprus and Turkey. Since 2010 Kamil Saldun has been working together with Sholeh Zahraei on different film projects as an actor, writer, producer and director. The films he has been involved in have won awards at international film festivals. Since 2012 he also works on underwater photography and film.