Sceneggiatura / Screenplay: Stefanos Tsivopoulos. Fotografia / Photography: Konstantinos Koukoulios. Montaggio / Editing: Stamos Dimitropoulos. Musica / Music: Mick Pedaja. Suono / Sound: Xenofontas Kontopoulos, Leandros Ntounis. Scenografia / Set Designer: Giorgios Georgiou. Costumi / Costume Designer: Despina Chimona. Interpreti / Cast: Maria Dragus, Penelope Tsilika, Rodica Lazar, Macrina Barladeanu, Maria Kallimani, Philippos Sklikas. Produzione / Produced by: Boo Productions. Con il sostegno di / Supported by: Greek Film Centre, Greek National Radio Television, microFilm.
Athens, 2013. Elena, a Romanian single mother, works the night shift cleaning metro stations. When she is unjustly fired, her dormant activist spirit reignites, and she joins forces with Yota, a passionate lawyer, to take on her corrupt employers. Their fight for justice sparks romance but also a dangerous confrontation, forcing Elena to choose between justice and her deep need to belong. Elena’s Shift premiered in the “First Feature Competition” at the 2025 Tallinn Black Nights.
“Inspired by real people and events, I wrote and filmed Elena’s Shift as both a reflection and an act of empathy toward those whose voices often go unheard, yet whose struggles reveal deeper truths about our shared humanity. I wanted to shed light on lives unfolding in the unseen spaces of our cities, stories of quiet resilience and fragile hope. Elena’s story reminds us that by speaking our truth, however fragile or small, we open space for empathy, dignity, and the possibility of change.” (S. Tsivopoulos)
Stefanos Tsivopoulos (1973)
He was born in Prague to an Iranian mother and a Greek father. He is a visual artist, filmmaker and writer who lives and works between Athens and Amsterdam. His works have been screened at leading museums and festivals including the Venice Biennale, Tate Modern, BFI London, and Thessaloniki IFF. Tsivopoulos’ latest short, Object Reconnaissance, supported by the Netherlands Film
Fund, premiered at the Netherlands Film Festival in 2025. He is currently developing his second feature.
filmografia scelta / selected filmography 2007 Untitled (The Remake) cm / sf 2010 Amnesialand cm / sf 2012 Lost Monument cm / sf 2014 History Zero cm / sf 2017 Glow in the Dark mm / ml doc. 2023 The Cardinal cm / sf 2024 Object Reconnaissance cm / sf 2025 Elena’s Shift
