An interview with Alexia Roider, noted down by Daniel Bickermann.

How did you become a filmmaker?

I started experimenting with still photography at the age of 17 and was captivated. So I chose to study film. I attended film school in London, at the London Institute, and there I majored in Cinematography. Growing up in Cyprus in the 80s we had two movie theaters showing blockbuster American films, no local film industry, no film education and no internet. I was probably the youngest student in my course and definitely the most naïve and ignorant in terms of film theory. But I had passion, determination, imagination and I loved being on a film set. After graduating, I returned to Cyprus and started working in a local production company as a film director. During those ten years I directed hundreds of television commercials, documentaries, corporate and music videos, and worked on short and feature films that where shot on the island. STYX is my first personal short film. My aim is to direct another short film in the near future, while developing a script for a feature film. When I direct my first feature, then I will be able to refer to myself as a filmmaker.

Do you feel that your background is typical for your generation of Cypriot filmmakers?

Not too long ago, one would not be able to talk about a generation of Cypriot filmmakers. There were simply very few people who made movies, less than a handful. Today this number has increased a lot. Most of the filmmakers I know, who are around my age, have studied film and television in the UK, or in the USA. Some very talented Cypriot filmmakers are excelling abroad, like Harry Zambarloukos who has a thriving career as a DoP in Hollywood and European productions. Those who choose to return to Cyprus work either in television, in theater, or in independent production companies directing commercials. I hope that we, the local talent, will evolve from being hobby filmmakers to professional filmmakers.

Could you describe the short film culture in Cyprus for us?

I do not think there is a short film culture in Cyprus. The majority of people, the general audience, do not even understand the concept of a short film – why would anyone want to make a ten-minute-film? Short films here are screened only in one or two local film festivals. They are not screened regularly in theaters, or on television. The media and press are mainly indifferent to this art form – so it is not promoted, or given any merit. However, as the younger generation of filmmakers becomes more active and more films are produced, especially award winning films, the local scene also changes and starts embracing and acknowledging our work.

But you did have some funds from the government, right?

Though the government offers funding for film production, the yearly budget is extremely low. I believe that right now this budget has increased from 1 million Euro to 1.5 million. With this budget the Ministry of Education and Culture supports and funds a number of short films and a couple of feature films every year. So we are talking about very low budget productions! The amazing thing is that a lot of work is actually produced with this low budget, us being a perfect example of this situation. Apart from that, it is extremely difficult to finance a film through other routes, and especially a short film: screening opportunities are very limited, so companies are hesitant to invest money into a project that will most likely not offer them any substantial promotion. Finally, the fact that there are no film labs on the island means that any such process must be done abroad, so the budget goes sky-high on travel and accommodation expenses to get the film done. STYX was partly financed by the government's film fund, while several private companies and individuals offered their services free of charge so that the film would be realized. Additionally, we were offered free accommodation by local hotels during our shoots, and also received small support from various local organizations. Even so, being a considerably demanding production, the film required more money to be post-produced and completed, so some members of the production team, including myself, agreed to finance the remaining amount and act as co-producers.

Did the shoot really only take five days?

STYX was shot during March and April 2007 on locations in urban Nicosia and rural Cyprus. The production had to travel throughout the island of Cyprus, to cover all the different shooting locations in no more than five days. Shooting a period film made the whole procedure even more difficult and demanding. The set up of certain scenes were exhaustingly detailed and time-consuming. Despite our overwhelming efforts to get everything right, STYX could not escape Murphy’s Law! For example, on the night of our most crucial scene, the dialogue and boat scenes, the Lord “blessed“ us with blasting winds, extremely low temperatures and unusual tidal phenomena that left our moat almost drained of water; so unusual that it hasn’t been reported in the last 50 years! These were indeed five long, difficult and stressful days. But I must admit that now, when we think of those days, we think about them with a certain marvel and a romantic nostalgia. The final edit includes 260 shots. That is an amazing number of shots knowing that everything was filmed in those five days.

There are some amazing talents on display in front and behind the camera. How did you find all of them and what are their backgrounds?

The original idea was conceived as narrative music, so composer and scriptwriter Christina Georgiou was closest than anyone to the story. She was devoted to the making of the film from birth to completion. When she was not working on the script, or researching, she was writing letters for fundraising. When we were filming she was helping setting up the scenes, or playing as an extra in the scenes – she actually appears three times! However, her greatest contribution is the beauty and complexity of her music. The production team for the movie was formed in a rather unusual manner: Christina was introduced to producer Monica Nicolaidou, pitching the project and being willing to co-produce. The spiritual concept of the story was intriguing, and Monica knew that I was the right person to direct it, so I soon came aboard. As soon as the funding application was approved by the Cyprus Film Advisory Committee, we started putting the whole team together. The first to join us was George Frentzos, a DoP working and living in Greece. George’s vast experience in the field, having worked on major films throughout his career, his talent but also his great personality would be lifesaving for our ambitious short film on many levels. He ended up co-producing the film, so his contribution is very substantial.

Your film has had quite a run of big European short film festival screenings and has won several prizes. Tell us something about where in your country it has been shown and what the reactions were.

In Cyprus the audience‘s first reaction was usually disbelief. First that it was shot in Cyprus, since they do not recognize the locations, second that we were actually able to produce it, and third that we went through all this trouble only for a short! Many viewers have told us that the film looks like the trailer of a feature film and that we should develop it into one. Others have told us that the visual style of the film is a bit commercial, or that the story comes across in a too obvious manner. Not everyone likes a film like STYX. But I must say that those who do like it, they like it a lot.

Links

• STYX (CY 2008. Alexia Roider)
• Love's Rebirth – Daniel Bickermann about STYX
• There’s Movement – Daniel Bickermann about the Cyprus film market