“Hold Onto Me” reviewed by Sundance

11-year-old Iris learns her estranged father, Aris, is back in town for his own father’s funeral. Determined to know him, Iris tracks him down to a dilapidated shipyard, where he’s been keeping to himself. What begins as a stubborn attempt to reconnect slowly unfolds into a fragile bond.

Christos Passalis (Aris) and Maria Petrova (Iris) each deliver a downright exceptional performance, burrowing this ragamuffin story deep into the bones of the viewer. Particularity of place, a lovely score, and confident direction make for a stellar debut feature by Myrsini Aristidou. This Cypriot filmmaker offers a perspective from within her home country that is all the more beautiful for its grit and honesty. Lending an unusual degree of complexity to its young protagonist, HOLD ONTO ME (Κράτα Με) explores through minute moments rendered in exquisite nuance how a lineage of paternal fracture manifests itself. Mapping how far the echoes of our closest relationships reach, this is a film that travels and illuminates every distant corner of young Iris’ emotional landscape — a deeply gratifying journey.