Nov 12-22, 2026
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No Man's Air

No Man's Air

Peter Delpeut, Gerco de Ruijter
Netherlands
2026
42 min
World Premiere
Frontlight
Synopsis

A Cyprus Airways pilot looks back on the last-ever flight to Nicosia Airport in July 1974. President Makarios has been ousted in a coup, and tourists are trying to leave the island.

The pilot first flies a full plane from Cyprus to London, then returns via Rome the following day with just seven passengers. All other flights have been canceled, leaving the airspace almost empty. On his radar, he sees Turkish ships gathering around the island. Reluctantly, he obeys the order to land in Nicosia, trying until the very last moment to obtain information about the impending Turkish invasion. On his approach to the airport, he realizes he is merely a pawn in a pre-written plot.

Today, the once-bustling hub lies in ruins, deserted in the demilitarized buffer zone, with a decommissioned airplane standing as a silent witness. Any access is prohibited. Therefore, all the footage in No Man's Air is found material from the internet, edited and augmented with visual effects. In the film, the wrecked aircraft takes to the skies once again as the pilot recounts that long night and final flight.

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Credits
42 min
color
DCP
Spoken languages: English
Director
    Peter Delpeut,
    Gerco de Ruijter
    Peter Delpeut,
    Gerco de Ruijter
Production
    Marc Thelosen for seriousFilm
    Marc Thelosen for seriousFilm
Editing
    Gerco de Ruijter,
    Peter Delpeut
    Gerco de Ruijter,
    Peter Delpeut
Sound Design
    Alex Booy
    Alex Booy
Music
    Michel Banabila
    Michel Banabila
Screening copy
    seriousFilm
    seriousFilm

Stills

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