Open Air Cinemas In Greece A Delight For Film Fans

T he majority of indoor            capacity. The chairs are usually   cinemas in Greece close         canvas or plastic chairs of the    during the summer and           type that you might find in        open-air cinemas take over. Other     someone's garden and have small    cities occasionally dabble in         tables dotted between them, on     open-air cinemas - temporary ones     which you can place whatever       are occasionally set up in London     goodies you buy from the small     parks, for example - but in           bar usually positioned in a        Athens they are a                     corner somewhere.                  well-established feature in the                                          evening entertainment scene and a     The open-air cinemas usually       must-try experience during any        re-run films that were released    visit.                                during the previous winter, show                                         re-runs of classic films and put   The set-up is usually very simple     on a few new releases. Although    and apart from the technology,        the film may completely capture    nothing much has changed since        your attention, it is worth        the opening of the first open-air     finding a few moments to take a    cinema, "The Boboniera", in 1919      look at your surroundings from     in Kifissia. They are usually in      your seat. What you will see will  what resembles a walled garden        vary greatly depending on which    and often have enormous and           cinema you go to. For example, in  beautiful bushes of fragrant          Athens, if you go to the Thiseion  jasmine and bougainvillea growing     cinema on the fantastic            along their boundaries. The           pedestrianised Apostolou Pavlou    screen is at one end and is           Street, you will have the          smaller than those that you find      opportunity to take in a great     in most indoor cinemas, but it is     view of the Acropolis. In other    always more than sufficient for       cinemas in the city, you could     the comparatively small seating       well find yourself surrounded by   apartment buildings with their        English language film without any  rows of balconies above your          problems. The film screening       head, decorated with colours          times are usually around 9pm and   reflected from the screen. It is      11pm and the programme changes on  quite a surreal experience to         Fridays. There is always an        watch a film in such close            intermission half way through the  proximity to other people's homes     film. For a few days during the    and if you look closely, you may      summer, when you attend the early  even spot one of the residents        screening it may not be dark       enjoying the film along with you,     enough outside for you to be able  from a spot on their balcony.         to properly see the action on the                                        screen for the first couple of     Foreign films, i.e. non-Greek         minutes - this is bearable though  films, are always screened in the     with a bit of squinting.           original language with Greek          Admission fees are usually around  subtitles, so you can see any         7 Euros. Enjoy!                    About the Author: Emmanuel Mendonca moved from the UK to Athens in 2004 and is getting to grips with life in Greece. Emmanuel publishes Greece travel and living articles at http://www.athensroom.com/greece_travel_guide.html. Source: www.isnare.com