Queer Wave turns our attention once more to Michael Cacoyannis’ landmark film and invites viewers who grew up with it, as well as those discovering it for the first time, to watch it simultaneously in four districts - through a fresh queer lens. On Tuesday 31 March at 20:30, Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, and Paphos tune in for a collective experience as part of the Cultural Programme of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2

Seventy-one years later, Stella remains relevant and invites us to reflect on the significance of gender roles in our societies. In his second feature, showcasing celebrated contributions from Yannis Tsarouchis, Manos Hadjidakis, Vassilis Tsitsanis, Sophia Vembo, and the iconic Melina Mercouri, who embodied the eponymous protagonist before skyrocketing to international fame, the Limassolian director invites us on a journey of social defiance that shook the society of its time. Stella became a symbol for the emancipation of every woman who wishes to transcend the boundaries of a patriarchal society and define, on her own terms, the limits of her romantic desire and fate: a tragic figure then – what has changed today?

Beyond an account of the historical trajectory of gendered struggle, Queer Wave aims through this event to highlight a silenced queer dimension of the director’s work. Cacoyannis himself stated: "I lived a good life, regardless of the fact that I never had a family. I loved beings who loved me back with even greater passion; I often broke the romantic conventions imposed by the morality of the time. I loved my work, however, much more." Furthermore, his choice to place dynamic female figures at the center of his work was a notable departure from the conventions of his time: Stella (1955) was followed by Electra (1962), Iphigenia (1977), and The Trojan Women (1971). In Zorba the Greek (1964), the tenderness between the two male protagonists often tends to exceed the limits of the platonic, while later Cacoyannis would become the first Cypriot (and specifically Limassolian) creator to include (clumsily, perhaps, by today’s standards) a gay protagonist and members of the trans community in his film Up, Down and Sideways (1992).

This screening of Stella thus comes to reposition Cacoyannis’ work within a framework of modern dialogue, illuminating aspects of the film that remain essential, timely, and politically urgent.

The screenings will take place simultaneously on Tuesday 31 March at 20:30 at Pantheon Theatre in Nicosia, at Rialto Theatre in Limassol, at Lefkara Conference Centre in Larnaca, and at the House of Arts and Literature in Paphos.

Stella | 1955 | 100’ | Michael Cacoyannis

Stella is a singer at the nightclub “Paradeisos”, constantly pursued by men with different intentions. Strong-willed and uncompromising, Stella sets her own terms in her relationships, creating ruptures with what society expects of her.

Trailer: STELLA FEMME LIBRE Trailer ©2012 Lost Films - STELLA ©2012 Lost Films 

Spoken Language: Greek | Subtitles: English, Turkish

Date: Tuesday 31 March at 20:30 

Nicosia: Pantheon Theatre (entry: 7€) | Presale: pantheon-theatre.com/product/stella/ 

Limassol: Rialto Theatre (entry: 7€) | Presale: rialto.interticket.com/program/stella-3368 

Larnaca: Lefkara Conference Centre (free entry) | Info: 96 361628

Paphos: House of Arts and Literature (free entry) | Info: 99 434923

Any person stating they are unable to pay the ticket price is entitled to enter for free without any examination of their financial status.

Link for the Facebook event here. Website: queerwave.com

Social Media: @queerwavecyprus

The event "STELLA – Four Cities, One Screen" is organized by the non-profit company Queer Wave LTD under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026.

Queer Wave kicked off in 2020. In its six years of activity, the initiative has brought local audiences more than 250 Cyprus premieres of LGBTQIA+ films from the international scene, while simultaneously supporting the work of Cypriot filmmakers and artists more broadly.