The documentary Requiem in Salt, directed by Cypriot creative duo Sylvia Nicolaides and Nicolas Iordanou, has been awarded the Best Documentary Prize at the 48th Drama International Short Film Festival in Greece.

The film explores the symbolism and cultural significance of salt in Japanese tradition through the work of contemporary artist Motoi Yamamoto. Following the loss of his sister, Yamamoto creates intricate salt installations as a way of processing grief and reflecting on the impermanence of life.

Produced in collaboration with the Japan Foundation, the documentary was praised by the jury for its “absolute consistency of form and content, its high aesthetic value, and its understated storytelling that transforms personal mourning into an artistic and spiritual experience.”

The award includes a €4,000 cash prize sponsored by ERT and EKOME, post-production and workshop services worth €2,500 offered by Stefilm, and a set of LED lighting equipment from Manios Cine Tools and Amaran.

At the festival, another Cypriot-linked production, Niki by Savvas Stavrou, was also screened in the National Competition.

The festival’s closing night on Sunday also saw Albanian-Greek director Neritan Zinxhiria take home the Golden Dionysus for his short film Noi, securing a place on the longlist for the Academy Awards’ Best Short Film category.

In a moment that drew attention beyond cinema, filmmakers present at the ceremony called on the audience to look “beyond art” toward the people “seeking life, justice, and freedom,” referring to the aid flotilla departing from Syros for Gaza.