Best of Open Air Cinemas

You can’t beat a Greek mother. The cinematic surprise of the year comes from Greece: an authentic tragicomedy that will entertain you from beginning to end, with Audience awards at the Thessaloniki and Trieste film festivals. Starring Eleni Kokkidou and Greek rapper Negros tou Moria. — While filming absent civil servants, a documentary crew stumbles upon Haroula, a desperate, overprotective Greek mother in search of her son. But when he is accused of fraud, Haroula sets out with her other, disabled son and a Greek-African taxi driver to bring him back home where he belongs. Even if this means discovering who her son really is. — Audience Award - Greek Festival | Thessaloniki Film Festival | 2022 Audience Award - Meet the Neighbours | Thessaloniki Film Festival | 2022 Greek Film Centre Award | Thessaloniki Film Festival | 2022 Youth Jury Award | Thessaloniki Film Festival | 2022 Audience Award | Trieste Film Festival | 2023

A lot of people swear to this day that this is the most beautiful film ever created and 4K restoration catapults this beauty to the moon. A hallmark of Wong Kar Wai's career, with shots, colours, music and slow motion coming together in a celebration of the senses. — Chow, editor-in-chief of a newspaper, moves with his wife to a new house. There he meets Li-zhen, the beautiful woman living next door, wife of a commercial agent, who is usually on business trips. Chow's wife is also often away from home. One day they will realize that their spouses are lovers and will find themselves in the footsteps of an erotic desire that neither of them admits is their own. — Best Actor (Tony Leung) | Cannes Film Festival | 2000 Best Foreign Language Film | César Awards | 2001 Best Actor (Tony Leung) | Hong Kong Film Awards | 2001 Best Actress (Maggie Cheung) | Hong Kong Film Awards | 2001 Best Film Editing | Hong Kong Film Awards | 2001

A riddle of identities, a satire of the entertainment world or simply a dream journey like no other, David Lynch's masterpiece changes, transforms and hypnotizes, certain that truth is only found in dreams. — A dark-haired woman gets amnesia after a car accident. She wanders the streets of Los Angeles before taking refuge in an apartment. There she is discovered by Betty, a blonde woman from the Midwest who has come to the City of Angels seeking fame as an actress. Together, the two try to solve the mystery of Rita's true identity in a dreamy Los Angeles, untroubled by traffic jams or smog. — Nomination for Best Director | Oscars | 2002 Nomination for Best FIlm | Golden Globes | 2002 Best Editing | BAFTA | 2002 Best Director | Cannes Film Festival | 2001

One of the greatest moments in the Spanish master's filmography, this colourful, exuberant, totally idiosyncratic melodrama is a must-see for all lovers of the Almodovar universe and for all those who believe in beauty and friendship. — A single mother watches her only son die on the day of his 17th birthday in an attempt to get an autograph from an actress. Because of the painful loss, the woman decides to track down the child's father, a choice that paves the way for an existential odyssey she could never have imagined. — Best International Film | Oscars | 2000 Best Director | Cannes Film Festival | 1999 FIPRESCI Prize | San Sebastian Film Festival | 1999 Best European Film | European Film Awards | 2000 Best Director | BAFTA | 2000

The ultimate feel-good cinematic experience of the 21st century. With her Louise Brooks haircut and irresistibly sweet face, Amélie Poulain spreads small acts of kindness through the postcard-perfect streets of Montmartre, accompanied by one of the most beloved soundtracks of modern cinema. — Amélie Poulain, a shy yet warm-hearted young waitress, wanders through the neighborhoods of Montmartre trying to quietly improve the lives of those around her — unaware that her own life might need saving too. — Nomination for Best Original Screenplay | Oscars | 2002 Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film | Oscars | 2002 Nomination for Best Cinematography | Oscars | 2002 Nomination for Best Sound | Oscars | 2002 Nomination for Best Art Direction | Oscars | 2002 Best Original Screenplay | BAFTA Awards | 2002 Best Film | César Awards | 2002 Best Director | César Awards | 2002 Best Music | César Awards | 2002 Best European Film | European Film Awards | 2001

Mathieu Kasovitz's iconic film, which for the first time turned its gaze to the margins of the French capital, was awarded for its direction at the Cannes Film Festival and became a reference point for an entire youth culture that to this day finds its voice in it. Thirty years after its first screening, it remains resoundingly relevant. — After a chaotic night of riots in a marginal suburb of Paris, three young friends, Vinz, Hubert and Saïd, wander around idly waiting for news of the health of a mutual friend who has been seriously injured in a confrontation with the police. — Best Director | Cannes Film Festival | 1995 Best Film | César Awards | 1996 Best European Film | European Film Awards | 1996

A hilarious mainstream Italian comedy with sharp commentary and situations that would be plausible anywhere in the Greek provinces, traversing the fine line between legal and illegal. — Municipal elections are upon a small Sicilian village, Pietramare. The current mayor is a corrupt man, ready to continue serving in a similar fashion. This time, however, a new candidate seeks office, an idealist and exemplary citizen. Against all odds, he wins the elections and a new era of legitimacy and order begins. Are the villagers ready to welcome the change?

One of the most beloved films of European cinema in the 2010s, a family drama full of humor, love, and humanity. A movie that feels like the warmest embrace. Its English-language remake, titled CODA, won 3 Academy Awards - including Best Picture. — All members of the Bélier family are deaf, except for 16-year-old Paula, who acts as the interpreter for her parents on a daily basis - especially when it comes to managing the family farm. One day, encouraged by her music teacher, she decides to audition for a prestigious vocal choir. A life-defining choice that signals her separation from her family and the inevitable transition into adulthood. — Nomination for Best European Comedy | European Film Awards | 2015 Most Promising Actress (Louane Emera) | César Awards | 2015 Best Actress (Karin Viard) | Lumiere Awards | 2015 Most Promising Young Actress (Louane Emera) | Lumiere Awards | 2015

In the spirit of Linklater's Before trilogy and with DIY attitude, the Greek film of the year follows two people on a magically melancholic journey. Awards in Thessaloniki and a triumph at the Hellenic Film Academy Awards for the directorial debut of comic book creator Giorgos Goussis. — Elena is traveling with no destination and unexpectedly boards the ship to Kefalonia. Antonis, who is on the same ship, is heading to the island's cemetery to bury his aunt's ossuary. When his car breaks down, Elena offers to take him to a hotel and then again the next day to the cemetery, where they are told they can't keep the box for bureaucratic reasons. Having enjoyed each other's company, they decide to continue roaming around the island looking for a good place to bury the box. — Golden Alexander | Thessaloniki Film Festival | 2021 FIPRESCI Award | Thessaloniki Film Festival | 2021 Greek National Television Award | Thessaloniki Film Festival | 2021 Best Film | Hellenic Film Academy Awards | 2022 Best Actress (Elena Topalidou) | Hellenic Film Academy Awards | 2022

The rom-com as we loved it in the 90s returns with the unmistakable ingredients of the Parisian bookstore Shakespeare & Company, Jane Austen and a hopelessly romantic but single protagonist. Comfortingly classic, refreshingly modern and unpretentiously funny. — Agathe finds herself in desperate singlehood. Her dream is to experience love akin to a Jane Austen novel and her ultimate aspiration is to become a writer. Instead, she spends her days selling books in Shakespeare & Co, in Paris. Soon, she must confront her insecurities to finally fulfill her ambition of becoming a novelist and put an end to wasting her sentimental life. — Official Selection | Toronto Film Festival | 2024