Half an Orange
It's summer on a farm in Cyprus. Valeria, a reclusive young writer, spends her days focused on her work. One evening, she meets Antigone at a party. Antigone is outgoing and carefree, contrasting with Valeria’s reserved nature. Amid the sunlit fields and beaches, Valeria and Antigone grow closer, discovering the beauty of a newfound desire. This bond helps Valeria grow and find new inspiration for her writing.
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Loukia HadjiyianniDirector
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Loukia HadjiyianniWriter
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Loukia HadjiyianniProducer
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Andros AchilleosProducerIman, Daphne, Senior Citizen, Chinatown: The Three Shelters
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Melissa ZangaKey Cast"Valeria"
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Thekla FlouriKey Cast"Antigone"
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Project Title (Original Language):Μισό Πορτοκάλι
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Project Type:Short
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Genres:Romance, Drama
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Runtime:18 minutes 4 seconds
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Completion Date:June 19, 2024
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Production Budget:4,000 EUR
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Country of Origin:Cyprus
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Country of Filming:Cyprus
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Shooting Format:RED Komodo
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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Digital Cinema Package:Unavailable
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LesGaiCineMad, Madrid LGBTI+ International Film FestivalMadrid
Spain
November 16, 2024
World Premiere
Official Selection -
Independent Days International FilmfestKarlsruhe
Germany
April 9, 2025
German Premiere
Official Selection -
Venice ShortsVenice
United States
Best LGBTQ Short Award -
Santorini Film FestivalSantorini
Greece
July 14, 2025
Greek Premiere
Best International Short Film -
International Short Film Festival of CyprusLimassol
Cyprus
October 11, 2025
Cypriot Premiere
Official Selection -
Oslo/Fusion International Film FestivalOlso
Norway
September 19, 2025
Norwegian Premiere
Official Selection -
Annual Copenhagen Film FestivalCopenhagen
Denmark
October 9, 2025
Danish Premiere
Best Drama -
Let’s Start the RevolutionLublin
Poland
October 3, 2025
Polish Premiere
Official Selection
Distribution Information
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NQV MediaDistributorCountry: United KingdomRights: All RightsCountry: United StatesRights: All Rights
Loukia Hadjiyianni is a Cypriot-Georgian director based in Berlin. With a background in Psychology and Neuroscience, she works across fiction and documentary, creating intimate, character-driven stories. Alongside her freelance practice, she is currently studying film directing.
Half an Orange was inspired by my experience of growing up in Cyprus as a queer woman and by the absence of lesbian films in Cypriot cinema. Being part Georgian, I grew up between two cultures where freedom and queer expression were limited, and it felt important to tell a story that opens up space for that. For the largest part of my adult life, I didn't have the space to understand or explore my sexuality. It was only after I moved out of home and created my own little bubble that I could start to accept myself and also let other people in. But my romantic experiences were often fleeting, as many young and especially queer people move abroad after high school and only visit during summers when the island becomes alive.
There is a certain kind of love that comes into your life and even though you know it's not there to stay, knowing doesn't make it hurt any less. It doesn't carry less weight or meaning despite its transitory nature. I wanted to explore those feelings and the ways in which we remember people after they're gone. I'm in love with Cyprus, its landscapes, the sea, the way light enters through windows and falls onto everything. It was important for me to make this film in Famagusta, a beautiful but conservative area in which I grew up. I wanted to take control of the narratives I grew up with and tell a different kind of story, which is how I decided to write Half an Orange.
