Cyprus-German film goes to Sundance Festival

"We interpret the presence of 'All That’s Left of You' at Sundance as proof of the exceptional work that can be achieved in Cyprus, thanks to our skilled crew members and the flexibility of our film scheme," Lefteris Eleftheriou, Director & Chairman of the Cyprus Film Commission has said, following the film's selection for screening at the prestigious festival.

A Cypriot-German production, 'All That’s Left of You' was directed by the American-Palestinian, Cherien Dabis and will be participating in the International Sundance Festival.

In comment to CBN, Eleftheriou noted that 'All That’s Left of You' is a pre-approved feature film by the Cyprus Film Commission, with the application submitted by the Cypriot company AMP Film Works in late 2023.

"We are thrilled to announce that the production is heading to the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in Utah, one of the world’s leading platforms for independent filmmakers. We interpret the presence of 'All That’s Left of You' at Sundance as proof of the exceptional work that can be achieved in Cyprus, thanks to our skilled crew members and the flexibility of our film scheme," he said.

Lefteris Eleftheriou

"This accomplishment underscores the talent and dedication of the producers, director, and crew, and we extend our heartfelt congratulations as they showcase their work on this international stage,” Eleftheriou continued.

In a press release, the Deputy Ministry of Culture, co-producer through the Minority Producers Scheme and the AMP Filmworks production company, announced that a collaboration with Pallas Film GMbH, Twenty Twenty Vision Filmproductin GmbH, ΑRTΕ and ZDF from Germany was created for the implementation of the film.

The production also sourced funds from Invest Cyprus and the Eurimages fund of the Council of Europe.

An international company, The Match Factory, is responsible for the film's distribution. 

'All That’s Left of You' is about a Palestinian adolescent who is getting ready to participate in a protest in the West Bank, and learns from his mother about the events that led to today's situation, since the displacement of his grandfather from Jaffa, back in 1948.

A number of scenes were shot in Cyprus, the press release says.

The film's director and protagonist Cherien Dabis commented on the film's selection for the prestigious International Sundance Festival on her social media.

Among other things, she said, " Beyond thrilled to announce that ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU will world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Where every single one of my films have world premiered from my first short Make A Wish (2006) to both of my features Amreeka (2009) and May in the Summer (2013). Endless gratitude to the @sundanceorg programmers for giving this Palestinian filmmaker a powerful launchpad and festival home for nearly two decades.

After a Palestinian teen confronts Israeli soldiers at a West Bank protest, his mother recounts the series of events that led him to that fateful moment, starting with his grandfather’s forced displacement.

The most incredible human beings helped me make this film under exceptionally challenging circumstances. We poured our hearts and souls into it. This film is so near and dear to all of our hearts."

Earlier this year, Dabis commented on the reasons that led to Cyprus' involvement, noting, " Today, our filmmaking journey, a cinematic odyssey that began in historic Jaffa and unexpectedly took us to Cyprus, Jordan and Greece, finally approaches completion."

AMP Filmworks, which is a Cypriot company, also commented on the film's participation at Sundance.