OPEN AIR CINEMA MOOD

What would you write in a letter to your better half, to prevent the end of your love story? And how long would it take you to write it? The exceptional Grégory Montel (Call My Agent) brings heart and tension to a romantic dramedy like the ones only the French know how to make. — After a drunken night, Jonas spontaneously decides to visit his ex, Léa, with whom he’s still in love. Despite the passion between them, Léa rejects him. Feeling disappointed, Jonas enters the cafe across the street to write her a letter, ignoring his obligations and causing the owner’s curiosity. And the day has just started…

An appreciative, festival-friendly addition to Woody Allen's "european films", set this time in the enchanting San Sebastián and its local film festival, which serves as a breeding ground for humorous stories arising from the anxieties and neuroses of its protagonists. — Intellectual Mort Rifkin accompanies his wife Sue to Spain's prestigious San Sebastian Film Festival, worried about her falling out with young director Philippe. While Sue is passionately involved with the charming Philippe, Mort meets the sweet Dr. Rojas and something inside him changes. A mood to review life through the power of classic cinema rekindles Mort's hope for the future.

The second feature film by director Stelios Kammitsis is an extremely sweet and emotionally disarming queer road movie, a film totally essential for the here and now of modern Greek cinema. — After the death of his grandmother, Victor, a young former diving champion, travels by ship to Italy. On the way, he meets a German of his age. Both head to Bavaria, each for their own reasons. Both seek answers, each to their own questions.

Andrzej Zulawski's great and stormy film, an unforgettable memory from the European cinema of the 70s that gave Romy Schneider the opportunity to face a very demanding role, delivering a sensational performance. — A photographer meets Nadine, a second-rate actress who stars in cheap soft porn movies. Wanting to help her, he borrows a substantial sum from a loan shark to finance the play "Richard III" in which he will finally give Nadine a role worthy of her talent. The latter is in a dilemma between the photographer she loves very much and her husband who has helped her in the past. — Best Actress (Romy Schneider) | César Awards | 1976

The resourceful spirit of the Greek immigrant in Germany magically mixes with soul music in an inventive and, often, hilarious escapist film by Fatih Akin, in the funniest and most optimistic moment of his career. — Zinos is a restaurant owner in Hamburg who can’t seem to catch a break: he’s hurt his back and can’t move, his old clients are abandoning him, and his girlfriend, Nadine, has left him to get a job in Shanghai. Fueled by desperation, he revamps the restaurant to bring in new crowds and does not hesitate to go to China to find Nadine. Except, in order to leave, he has to place the business in the hands of his brother, a choice that may be a recipe for disaster. — Official Selection | Venice Film Festival | 2009 Special Jury Prize | Venice Film Festival | 2009 Young Cinema Award Best Film | Venice Film Festival | 2009 Art Cinema Award | Hamburg Film Festival | 2009

Literary games in an idyllic resort, romance, infidelity, questions of morality and heroes who have a hard time keeping their word. Éric Rohmer’s summer classic is akin to a breezy summer meal with good French wine. — Shortly before his wedding, Jerome spends his summer vacation at lake Annecy, in order to sell his family villa. While there, he reunites with an old friend who is a writer and is staying at a neighboring house along with the owner’s strong-willed daughter. Jerome’s interactions with the young girl and the effect she has on him, provide the writer with the idea for her next book. While Jerome’s interests start to wane, the arrival of a new girl, Claire, grabs his attention. — Best Film | San Sebastián International Film Festival | 1971 Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film | Golden Globes | 1972

The greatest living Chinese director, Zhang Yimou’s latest film, is a tender and bittersweet love letter to the art of cinema and the stuff which every "little" person's dreams are made of. — The paths of a man who has escaped from a rural prison and a young wandering thief intersect with the cause and bone of contention of a stolen bobbin during the Cultural Revolution in China. — Official Selection | Berlin Film Festival | 2022 Official Selection | San Sebastian Film Festival | 2022 Best Director Award | Asian Film Awards | 2021

Palme d'Or winner Hirokazu Koreeda (Shoplifters) in a tender tale of petty crooks, a road movie about love and family that our lucky star chooses for us. Starring Song Kang-Ho (Parasite, Memories of Murder) whose performance got awarded in Cannes. — One rainy night, a baby is left alone in a box and two men secretly take it home. But the next day, a woman unexpectedly returns to the same spot looking for the baby, and decides to call the police when she discovers that the boy is missing. The men argue that they just wanted to find suitable parents for the child, and the woman, having no choice, decides to help them. But a police officer who has been investigating the case for months is lurking. — Best Actor Award (Song Kang-Ho) | Cannes Film Festival | 2022 Prize of the Ecumenical Jury | Cannes Film Festival | 2022

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

Nothing would be the same in European cinema after the first screening of what turned out to be one of the most influential films in history. The week of Marcello, Paparazzo, the stars, the ephemeral glow and fake idols, a journey to life’s true meaning. — Wandering through a privileged enclave of Rome, Marcello, a gossip journalist, encounters elegant aristocrats, hungry artists, vulgar nouveau riche, charlatans and "magicians" of the elite nightlife. He discovers that beneath the surface of their deceptive grace lurks emptiness, despair and loneliness, all of which lead to an implacable thinker friend finding a tragic end. — Palme D'Or | Cannes Film Festival | 1960 Best Costume Design | Oscars | 1962

Set in divided Nicosia, a full-blooded comedy that satirizes the absurdity that has become part of the daily life of its residents, without attempting to resolve the Cyprus dispute. Adam Bousdoukos (“Soul Kitchen”), in the lead role, oozes cool and is a delight to watch. — The film’s protagonist is 43-year-old Yannis, a washed-up musician, whose life isn’t exactly going as planned. His girlfriend has left him and his “lenders” are becoming increasingly aggressive. He plans to leave as soon as possible, with his beloved dog, Jimi. But, when Jimi runs away to the “Turkish” side of the island, Yannis has to deal with European legislation that prohibits animal crossing between the two areas. — Best International Film | Tribeca Film Festival | 2018 Special Mention - International Competition | Thessaloniki Film Festival | 2018 Best Screenplay | Hellenic Film Academy Awards | 2019

Iconic film noir, a reference point in the history of cinema to this day. Set in post-war Vienna, with an ever-increasing mystery, and featuring Orson Welles in an unforgettable appearance. — A writer of popular western novels arrives in ruined Vienna after the end of World War II, at the invitation of an old friend, Harry Lime. But when he gets there, an unpleasant surprise awaits him: Lime has already died in a car accident. And as he prepares to fly back to America, he begins to suspect that Harry's death might not have been such an accident after all. Was there a "third man" at the scene of the accident? — Best Cinematography | Oscars | 1951 Best British Film | BAFTA | 1950 Grand Jury Prize | Cannes Film Festival | 1949