»I was inspired by images that were depicted in my mind and events that I experienced growing up in Cyprus in a patriarchal society, watching the women in my family and all other women living on the sidelines, with the main purpose of their lives serving their spouse and children.«
Tonia Mishiali

Elpida (Hope) is at a turning point. A housewife, she has spent two decades in a loveless marriage, her daughter and granddaughter maintain contact only by Skype, and the menopause has wrought changes upon her body and psyche. Her need for personal expression, her desire for love and physical intimacy and growing feelings of reluctance and anger are beginning to erode the routine that has helped her to cope with the misogyny around her. When her husband sells her car without her permission and a young painter starts to redecorate her apartment building in plain sight, Elpida’s perception of reality starts to warp. Her imagination runs wild and she’s no longer sure what is real and what isn’t. Is she at the cliff’s edge, or can she press pause and restart? Stela Fyrogeni delivers an impressive performance as the lead character, masterfully manoeuvring Elpida back and forth between bitterness, daydream and black humour.

Awards for Pause
FIPRESCI Award for Best Film & ERT National Television Award – Thessaloniki IFF 2018 | Best Film – Union of Greek Film Critics 2018 | Best Fiction Feature –Beirut IWFF 2019