By Despina Karpathiou
On what will be a historic day for Cypriots around the world, July 19 this year will see Cyprus’ very first movie grace Netflix’s screens.
Find Me Falling (Greek title: Μπρος Γκρεμός) is a cute romantic comedy shot entirely on the beautiful Mediterranean island of Cyprus between Peyia and Nicosia.
The film stars Emmy and Grammy-winning actor and musician Harry Connick Jr. as rock star John Allman who decides to take a break from his career to reclaim his spark. His journey of rediscovery takes him to an “isolated cliffside home” on Cyprus.
Cypriot company Green Olive Films collaborated with Jupiter Peak Productions from the US to produce the film. It also received support from Cyprus’ Deputy Ministry of Culture, the Cyprus Film Advisory Committee (CFCC), and Invest Cyprus.
The woman behind this marvellous feat is South African Cypriot filmmaker, Stelana Kliris. The Greek Herald was fortunate to secure an exclusive sit down with Stelana to talk about her process of writing, directing and producing this Cypriot masterpiece.
Congratulations on directing Cyprus’ first Netflix film! How does it feel?
Thank you so much! It is a completely surreal experience but also very humbling and gratifying because my team and I worked so hard on this and now we get to share it with the world!
Tell us about the film.
The official description reads: ‘After a failed comeback album, rock star John Allman escapes to a dreamy Mediterranean island, only to discover that his new cliffside home has an unfortunate notoriety that attracts unwanted visitors and an old flame.’ I’ll add that it’s a feel-good film and an unexpected romantic comedy that shows off the beautiful island of Cyprus and an amazing cast lead by Harry Connick Jr.
How did it all come together? Were there any challenges?
I started writing the script in 2015 and we finally shot in 2022, so there were many challenges along the way, one of the major ones being the COVID-19 pandemic, as we originally planned to shoot this in 2020. Even in 2022, we still had very strict protocols in place during the shoot and it was a big effort on everyone’s part to get the film done on time and within budget, as we had a very little margin for error.
But it came together thanks to support from the Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Culture which has funded this film from script stage right through to production, as well as the Cyprus Film Advisory Committee with their ground-breaking cash rebate scheme and our amazing US co-producer Jupiter Peak Productions. I was also privileged to have by my side US producers Keith Arnold and Steve Shapiro and here on the ground in Cyprus, Dionysios Manganis and Green Olive Films to run the production, plus my beloved cast and crew!
What was your idea behind this film?
I read a lovely article about a kind man in Australia who lived near a suicide hot-spot and saved many lives and I wondered what that would look like, if a misanthrope lived in a similar spot, and the story developed from there. Eventually, in the script, the character became a rock star in crisis and suddenly Harry Connick Jr became the perfect choice for the role. So, step by step, the film came together. I also wanted to look at the idea of legacy and what we leave behind when we go – is it our art, our work, our children or simply how we treated people?
What does this success mean for the Cypriot film community?
This is a very big step for our local film community. While Cypriot films have had some wonderful successes on the festival circuit, this is the first big break into the more commercial sphere and suddenly we have ‘proof of concept’ that we are capable of producing world-class films for an international audience, which is very important for our developing industry.
Our local crew and cast now has a Netflix film on their list of credits and as we try to attract foreign productions to our island, we have a great example to encourage them. I really hope that this opens doors for all of us.
What response do you expect from the audience when it airs on July 19?
I just hope that people embrace and enjoy the film! I think it’s the fun escape that we all need right now and I hope that the diaspora will enjoy watching this ‘love letter’ to Cyprus!
Do you hope or plan to produce more films in the future in Cyprus?
Yes of course! Cyprus is my home and I want our local industry to go from strength to strength. I hope to shoot my next feature, a romantic drama called “Apart from Her” in November and I’m also producing local award-winning director Yianna Americanou’s next feature “My Name is Lily.”
Find Me Falling will be available on Netflix worldwide starting Friday, July 19. Cypriot audiences will have the opportunity to experience the film in cinema theatres for a limited time.
