Hold Onto Me — Sundance Review
Source: Sundance
Winner of the Sundance Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic category, Myrsini Aristidou’s Hold Onto Me (Κράτα Με) plays out like a modern-day, slower-paced version of Peter Bogdanovich’s Paper Moon (1973) set in Cyprus. It’s a poignant story about a little girl reconnecting with her estranged father as the duo slowly bond and con people.
Hold Onto Me begins with 11-year-old Iris (Maria Petrova) discovering that the father she never knew, Aris (Christos Passalis), is back in town for his own father’s funeral. She watches the funeral from afar but doesn’t approach him. However, when she and her older friend Danae (Jenny Sallo) “borrow” a stranger’s boat and get caught, she winds up at the police station. With her mother out of town, her father is called to the station, and he isn’t pleased about it. After forcing Iris to give the man her money and apologize, he sneakily steals the man’s wallet. Iris is impressed and inquires how he did it. After that, she repeatedly reminds her father, “I want my money,” in what feels like a nod to Addie’s “I want my $200” from Paper Moon. From there, the two realize they can help each other out, making money and engaging in petty crimes, and a fragile bond begins to develop.
Source: Sundance
The lead performances are phenomenal. Maria Petrova displays wisdom well beyond her years while still maintaining the gentle naïveté of youth. Aris undergoes a substantial amount of character growth throughout the course of the film, making this an incredible showcase for Christos Passalis’ range. Alex Weston’s score is lovely and melodious. Lasse Ulvedal Tolbøll’s cinematography is gorgeous, emphasizing the beauty of Cyprus with landscape shots and warm, sun-kissed lighting. The evolving relationship between father and daughter is conveyed primarily through visual storytelling, particularly in quiet, unspoken moments. Frequent close-ups of their hands highlight how Iris mirrors her father’s gestures as their bond deepens. Through visual language, the film allows their relationship to unfold with gentleness and a natural progression.
Source: Sundance
Patient and carefully observed, Hold Onto Me understands that its emotional weight lies in the small, subtle moments. Aristidou crafts a story that is both intimate and quietly affecting, offering a moving portrait of a father/daughter relationship that feels unique and genuine rather than cliché or overly sentimental. Anchored by remarkable performances and evocative visual storytelling, it’s a tender meditation on reconnection, forgiveness, and the unexpected ways family can find its way back to us.
Hold Onto Me premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2026, where it won the World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award.
