❝ The car started moving. I looked out the window, but I couldn't recognize anything. Everything was different, the buildings, the streets. The images flowed by like a film reel. I didn't know any of it. It was as if everything had suddenly become unfamiliar. ❞
City of Saints, a short novel by Elvan Levent, was published in Turkish in 2023 as a limited edition of 150 copies, not available for sale.
AVFRI presents an exclusive excerpt from its first English translation.
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE AN OPPOSITIONAL NEWSPAPER IN NORTH CYPRUS?
Avrupa… then Afrika… and finally Old Avrupa again… Three names, one newspaper that has stood as a critical voice — often challenging authority and giving space to perspectives that might otherwise remain unheard.
INSIGHT by Elvan Levent
The story of oppression and fight for the truth..
My Failure to Laugh at a Russian Comedy Show
Opinion
by Elvan Levent
First, a very young girl walked onto the stage, with the air of someone freshly woken from sleep, and announced that she was there to “warm up” the audience. Trying to do so, she asked the three skinheads, “What do you do?” And she quickly added, “Or is it a secret?”
The
Kids
on Trade
The Kids on Trade was born from a desire to illuminate this hidden reality, to give voice to their lives, and to spark awareness and reflection — perhaps even change — through the power of storytelling.
Mahshad Jalalian’s three-minute documentary 'The Kids on Trade', showing eight- to nine-year-old girls being traded to older men in Afghanistan, shockingly reveals a brutal, unspoken reality, leaving the viewer with a heavy heart.
Feeling fear and loathing in Moscow..
The concert begins with the Russian state official talking about «Kiev junta» and
all the propaganda garbage, but I do not pay attention. I listen to the World War
II songs, while watching the images of children in the Minsk ghetto. Those images are unbearable to watch. «Children shouldn’t die in someone else's war», sings the chorus.
Essay
Talks with Ümit İnatçı — one of Cyprus’s most thought-provoking artists and intellectuals — an artist, writer, poet and a publisher whose work has consistently challenged conventional ideas about identity, culture, and aesthetics. His artistic practice spans decades, marked by a deep engagement with the political and philosophical dimensions of art. In this conversation with Elvan Levent, İnatçı reflects on the meaning of creation in turbulent times, the role of the artist in society, and the enduring relationship between art and truth.
I feel that art should not be bound by any philosophy. That doesn’t mean we don’t need structure, motivation, inspiration, or discipline—these things are important and can make us more visible or expand our artistic capacity. But if we try to define a strict artistic philosophy, will it still be art?
AVFRI
RECOMMENDS
In AVFRI Recommends, we share what genuinely inspires us — places we love, events we follow, and work we admire. Think of it as a personal guide to culture, creativity, and meaningful experiences.
RUSTEM BOOKSHOP
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WHY IS IT THE BEST PLACE TO BE IN THE NORTH NICOSIA?
The festival which praises short film
Claudia Melo, in the film A Noah, was awarded Best Actress at the 4th edition of LISFF.
TALENT
THE CINE-PHOTOGRAPHER | ANNA OVANESOVA
It’s no coincidence that every frame tells a story, and every actor becomes a character within her frames. Her work balances light and shadow to reveal hidden layers of everyday life, while her compositions feel both spontaneous and meticulously considered. ANNA OVANESOVA’s photography captures fleeting moments with striking clarity and emotional depth inviting you to pause, reflect, and discover subtle stories beyond the surface.