Latest Cinema Releases: What To See This Week in Athens

Stop Making Sense 

Stop Making Sense is a 1984 independent production and concert film and a testament to the iconic American new wave rock band, Talking Heads. Directed by Jonathan Demme, renowned for “The Silence of the Lambs,” the film captures the band’s frantic energy in a recording that took place over four unforgettable nights at Hollywood’s historic Pantages Theatre in December 1983. Syncing with Talking Heads’ tour promoting their acclaimed 1983 album “Speaking in Tongues,” the film features the band’s frontman David Byrne performing among others the early hit “Psycho Killer” (1977)  and the chart-topping “Burning Down the House” (1983).

Director: Jonathan Demme
Cast: Talking Heads
Language: English
IMDB rating: 8.7/10
Production country: United States
Where to watch: Cinobo Opera, Cinemax (Nirvana, Nana), Diana cinema, Alexandra Patission cinema, Options cinemas (Ilion)

Dance First

Dance First, a compelling biography by James Marsh, delves into the remarkable life of Irish playwright and Nobel Prize winner, Samuel Becket. Set mostly in a handsome monochrome, the biography offers a captivating exploration through Beckett’s formative years, his complex relationship with literary luminary James Joyce, his enduring bond with his future wife, and his courageous involvement in the French Resistance during World War II, culminating in his later years and legacy.

Director: James Marsh
Cast: Gabriel Byrne, Fionn O’Shea, Sandrine Bonnaire, Léonie Lojkine, Bronagh Gallagher
Language: English
IMDB rating: 6.4/10
Production countries: United Kingdom, Belgium, Hungary
Where to watch: The Greek Film Archive, Cinobo Opera, Mikrokosmos cinema, Cinemax (Kifissia,Nirvana), Aigli digital Cinema, Diana cinema, Alexandra Patission, Cinerama digital cinema, Varkiza cinema, Zea cinema

Lesvia

Premiering at the 26^th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival obtaining a special mention by the jury, Tzeli Hadjidimitriou’s documentary Lesvia is now available in Greek cinemas. As tensions rose between the newly arrived lesbians and the local residents of a small farming village of Eressos on the island of Lesbos, Hadjidimitriou chronicles forty years of love, community, conflict, and the quest for acceptance.

Director: Tzeli Hadjidimitriou
Languages: Greek, English, French, Italian (the film is screening with Greek subtitles)
IMDB rating: 7.8/10
Production country: Greece
Where to watch: Trianon cinema

Origin

Ava DuVernay’s Origin is a biographical drama about the life of Isabel Wilkerson, the first woman of African-American heritage to win a Pulitzer Prize in journalism. Faced with profound personal tragedy, Wilkerson embarks on a journey of global investigation and discovery while writing the bestseller ‘Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.

Director: Ava DuVernay
Cast: Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald
Language: English
IMDB rating: 7.2/10
Production country: United States
Where to watch: Elli cinema, the Greek Film Archive, Galaxias cinema, Diana cinema, Cinemax (Nana), Sporting digital cinema, Village cinemas (Rentis)

Arthur The King

Arthur The King, inspired by Mikael Lindnor’s Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home book, is an adventure film featuring Michael Light, an adventure racer, and his team participating in the Adventure Racing Worlds Championship in the Dominican Republic. Soon, a dog named Arthur joins them on their journey reshaping their understanding on victory, loyalty and friendship.

Director: Simon Cellan Jones
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu, Juliet Rylance, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ali Suliman
Language: English
IMDB rating: 7.2/10
Production country: United States
Where to watch: Athinaion cinema, Village Cinemas (The Mall, Pangrati, Metro Mall, Rentis), Tria Asteria digital cinema, Cinemax (Aello, Nana), Elize cinema, Cinerama Digital cinema, Anoixi Art cinema, Lampros Konstantaras Movie Theatre, Foivos cinema, WestCity cinemas, Maria Elena Onar digital cinema, Varkiza Cinema, Options cinema (Ilion, Glyfada), Artemis cinema

The First Omen

An American novitiate, Margaret, is assigned to work in a church in Rome where she discovers a dark conspiracy aimed at ushering in the birth of Antichrist. Directed by Arkasha Stevenson, The First Omen is a prequel to the iconic The Omen (1976) and it is the sixth film in the homonymous franchise.

Director: Arkasha Stevenson
Cast: Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom,Sônia Braga, Ralph Ineson
Language: English
IMDB rating: 6.9/10
Production countries: United States, Italy, United Kingdom
Where to watch: Athinaion cinema, Aigli digital Cinema, Tria Asteria digital cinema, Village Cinemas (The Mall, Pangrati, Athens Metro Mall, Rentis), Cinemax (Aello, Nana), Sporting digital cinema, Anoixi Art cinema, Lampros Konstantaras Movie Theatre, Foivos digital cinema, WestCity cinemas, Options cinemas (Ilion, Glyfada), Zea cinema, Artemis Municipal cinema

Something in The Water

Something in The Water follows the harrowing ordeal of five close friends who charter a boat for a day along the coastline during a destination wedding. However, their excursion takes a terrifying turn when they become stranded in the open sea, forced to confront encroaching sharks and the relentless forces of nature in a desperate fight for survival.

Director: Hayley Easton Street
Cast: Lauren Lyle, Natalie Mitson, Hiftu Quasem, Nicole Rieko Setsuko, Gabriel Prevost-Takahashi, Ellouise Shakespeare-Hart, Laura Costa
Language: English
IMDB rating: 5.9/10
Production country: United States
Where to watch: Galaxias cinema, Village cinemas (The Mall, Pangrati, Athens Metro Mall,Rentis), Cinemax (Aello, Nana), Lampros Konstantaras Movie Theatre,WestCity cinemas, Options Cinemas (Ilion)