Eliza works at a hotel resort, moving through a cycle of roles designed to keep guests constantly satisfied. Beneath the hotel’s polished surface, she struggles to maintain an unseen private life, all while carrying a rare anatomical condition: she is physically unable to smile. In a world obsessed with toxic positivity, Eliza must decide whether to change herself to fit in, or resist by remaining exactly who she is.
Cast
Grigoria Metheniti, Polyxeni Savva, Zoe Kyprianou, Giorgos Kyriakou, Ioli Pitta, Alexis Neophytou
World Premiere
Quinzaine des Cinéastes – Cannes 2026
Festivals / Awards
Melbourne ISFF 2026, Drama International Short Film Festival 2026 (Winner: EFA nomination, Best Screenplay Award, Best Actress Award), Athens IFF (Shorts Competition, Winner: Besti Director Award), BFI London Film Festival 2026 – I See Myself Shorts Programme, Cyprus ISFF 2026 (Winner: Best Director, Best Performance, 2nd prize for Best Cypriot Film), AFI Fest 2026 (Winner: Grand Jury Prize – Live-Action Short Film)
Eligible for the Live-Action Short film Academy Award nomination 2027 – AFI Fest / Grand Jury Prize 2026
Free Eliza (Notes on an Anatomical Imperfection), 20′, dcp, Cyprus-Greece-France, 2026
