Once again this year, the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation’s courtyard will transform into an open-air summer cinema for audiences of all ages, in collaboration with the Friends of Cinema Society. The films to be screened this year are:

A Touch of Spice – Thursday 10/7/25 – 8.30pm
Category: Drama
Duration: 95 minutes
With English Subtitles

A deeply personal film by director Tassos Boulmetis, A Touch of Spice (Politiki Kouzina) addresses the persecution suffered by the Greeks of Istanbul at the hands of the Turkish authorities in 1964.

The film’s protagonist, Fanis Iakovidis, an astrophysics professor in Athens, is expecting a visit from his grandfather from Istanbul, whom he has not seen since childhood. As he prepares to welcome him, he invites all his grandfather’s old friends and begins preparing a series of traditional dishes from the cuisine of Constantinople.

However, a sudden illness prevents his grandfather from making the journey to Athens. The professor then decides to travel to Istanbul himself, to visit his grandfather and revisit the years he spent there with his parents. Once there, memories of his joyful childhood return, along with the painful recollections of persecution and expulsion and, of course, his first love, Saime.

You Know the One About Toto? – Thursday 24/7/25 – 8pm
Category: Family
Duration: 85 minutes
Dubbed in Greek

The most famous little mischief-maker – the young boy who has starred in countless beloved jokes shared by children and adults alike – arrives on the big screen to allow us to get to know him better and laugh out loud at his antics!

At school, Toto is the best at making his friends laugh with his wild behaviour – paying attention in class, however, is not exactly his strong suit! Just like at school, at home his jokes often end in disaster… The latest incident? A giant sculpture topples during an event organised by his father’s boss! Everyone immediately suspects our well-known troublemaker, but this time, Toto insists he is innocent and refuses to take the blame for something he didn’t do.

West Side Story – Thursday 7/8/25 – 8.30pm
Category: Musical
Duration: 156 minutes

The multi-award-winning and widely acclaimed 1961 film by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins may have merely hinted at the broader context and conditions, and undoubtedly marked the moment when the musical was taken decisively out of the studio. Still, the DNA of the story written for Broadway in 1957 by Arthur Laurents, with Stephen Sondheim’s timelessly resonant lyrics and Leonard Bernstein’s divine music and songs, cries out against racism and injustice – even if the collective sigh of the audience tends to focus on the romantic tragedy between Tony and Maria.

West Side Story represents a dual statement from Steven Spielberg. On one hand, it honours his deep affection for this musical. More significantly, however, it reflects his perspective on the growing divide between the idealised vision of America and the real country itself – a nation which, all evidence suggests, has not only failed to change, but continues to sustain a polarisation that has intensified in recent years.

Toto 2 School Trip – Thursday 28/8/25 – 8pm
Category: Adventure, Family
Duration: 85 minutes
Dubbed in Greek

The second live-action film featuring Toto remains fully aligned with the childlike – if not outright childish – logic of the original 2020 film, also directed by Pascal Bourdiaux. Innocent pranks are blended with the mischievous tone of a conventional comedic adventure, aiming to evoke laughter through a series of misunderstandings and twists that arise from the meeting of two very different worlds. Children and adults are constantly at odds, as the former seek to uncover the secrets of everyday life on a farm, far from the overprotective gaze of parents and teachers.

The film does not shy away from delivering a straightforward – though not entirely unnecessary – message on ecology and the harmonious relationship between humans and nature.

Screening Venue

  • Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation
    86-90 Faneromenis Street, 1011 Nicosia

All events will be conducted with due regard to all necessary health and safety measures for the protection of both visitors and staff, and are accessible to individuals with disabilities.

  • Screenings begin at 8.30pm, doors open at 8pm
  • Children’s film screenings begin at 8pm

Also during events, photos and/or videos will be taken. Images of event attendees may be used for promotional purposes or provided to the media or uploaded on the Internet. By attending events, the public automatically grants organisers the right to use the photos/videos taken.

For more information, visit the BoCCF website: www.boccf.org and follow the official pages of the Foundation on Facebook & Instagram (@boccf)