Special Screenings · 47th Edition
The Lion at My Back
THE LION AT MY BACK
Director
Tonia Mishiali
Country
Cyprus, Luxembourg, Greece
Runtime
1 h 46 min
Language
Greek, English
Premiere
MENA premiere (Middle East and North Africa)
Synopsis
Mariama, a teenage Senegalese asylum seeker, and Stella, a Cypriot recovering addict, are striving to rebuild their lives. When their paths first cross they use each other, but their shared struggle for survival, in a world that failed them both, sparks an unexpected mother-daughter bond. Together, they redefine the true meaning of love and family, in a heartwarming tale of sacrifice, solidarity and female empowerment.
Cast
Sokhna Diallo, Elena Kallinikou, Prokopis Agathocleous, Herodotos Miltiadous
Screenplay
Tonia Mishiali, Dianne Jones, Simona Nobile
Producers
Tonia Mishiali, Katarzyna Ozga, Marinos Charalambous, Antoine Simkine
About the Director
A filmmaker whose work has screened at festivals including Locarno and Cairo. Her film Pause (2018) premiered at Karlovy Vary, won the FIPRESCI Prize at Thessaloniki and was included in Rotten Tomatoes’ “20 Most Daring Films of 2019.” The Lion at My Back premiered at KVIFF 2026, where it won the Ecumenical Jury Grand Prize.
Screenings