The big picture of Greek Cypriot shorts: between processes of transnationalization and re-articulations of the local

Much of the existing body of work on cultural exchange in cinema focuses on feature films as manifestations of cinematic transnationalisms, and less on short films. Starting from two Clermont-Ferrand competition titles, Tonia Mishiali’s Daphne (2022) and Savvas Stavrou’s Buffer Zone (2023), we look at how specific examples of directors and their short films reflect recent observations that Greek Cypriot cinema is entering a phase in which filmmakers actively seek international collaborations and opportunities to further their art-making. The article focuses on the short films of Mishiali, Stavrou, Myrsini Aristidou and Alexandra Matheou, providing an overview of the work of each filmmaker leading to a close analysis of their short(s). The aim of our analysis is to identify the films’ transnational qualities, as well as how these may echo current practices in European filmmaking. We argue that even though these shorts form part of the transnational orientation of Greek Cypriot cinema, they simultaneously contribute to the development of a diverse local cinema that radically departs from dominant on-screen representations of Cyprus, or revisit them by way of social critique.