EUROPE IN CINEMA: Smaragda – I Got Thick Skin and I Can’t Jump

The European Union National Institutes for Culture in Cyprus (EUNIC Cluster Cyprus), in collaboration with the Friends of Cinema Society, have the pleasure of presenting EUROPE IN CINEMA.

European Film Festival in Cyprus (EFFC) – “EUROPE IN CINEMA” aims to showcase films from a wide array of genres and languages over the span of 2025. The Film Festival offers a comprehensive cinematic experience, from thought-provoking dramas to heartwarming comedies. This diversity reflects the multicultural essence of Europe itself, with films that explore themes ranging from historical events to contemporary social issues.

On Thursday, 12 June 2025 the Organisation for European Programmes and Cultural Relations, with the support of the Representation of the European Commission in Cyprus will be presenting the feature drama film “Smaragda – I Got Thick Skin and I Can’t Jump”. The screening will take place at Pantheon Theatre, located at 29 Diagoras Street, Nicosia 1097. Admission is free of charge. The film is in Greek and will be accompanied by English subtitles, followed by a Q&A with the director of the film Emilios Avraam.

SMARAGDA – I GOT THICK SKIN AND I CAN’T JUMP, the debut narrative feature by Cypriot director Emilios Avraam, starring Niovi Charalambous and produced by Tonia Mishiali’s Bark Like A Cat Films explores themes of existence, companionship, legacy and the pressure to conform to societal norms. The film received funding by the Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Culture and Creative Europe MEDIA (Mini Slate).

The film premiered at the 2024 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and received the Best Cypriot Film Award and the Best Performance in a Cypriot Film Award at the 23rd Cyprus Film Days International Festival.

Synopsis: Smaragda, a middle-aged single woman, moves into her late mother’s house in Ayia Napa, a tourist town in Cyprus, while takes on the care of Bella, her mother’s guide dog. With environmental sensitivities, ineffectual relationships, single and professionally stagnant, she contemplates her legacy. As a former children’s TV show host yearning to return to the industry and facing rejection, she explores social media, encountering both fame and backlash. Financially strained, she takes a job as a kids’ entertainer at a tourist resort, a far cry from her previous aspirations. Despite the challenges and fears she faces, Smaragda realizes that, with the support of her friends and her own resilience, she can handle whatever life throws at her.

For further information regarding the screening, please contact 22895136, email aula.nicosia@cervantes.es, or visit the EUNIC Cyprus Cluster’s official Facebook page.

Date: 12 June 2025
Time: 20:30
Location: Pantheon Theatre, 29 Diagoras Street, Nicosia 1097
Free admission

Film’s identity

• SMARAGDA I GOT THICK SKIN AND I CAN’T JUMP
• Narrative Feature, 98min
• Written and Directed by Emilios Avraam
• Produced by Tonia Mishiali (Bark Like a Cat Films)
• With Niovi Charalambous, Fivos Papacostas, Eleni Sidera, Paris Erotokritou, Patrick Myles, Dante
• Cinematographer Yorgos Rahmatoulin
• Production Designer Christy Polydorou
• Original Music George Solonos