Tatami
Israeli director Guy Nattiv and Iranian-French actress and director Zar Amir Ebrahimi (awarded Best Actress at the Cannes 2022 Film Festival) collaborate on Tatami, a political sports thriller set during the Judo World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The film’s central theme revolves around “the pursuit of one’s lifelong dream.” For Iranian female judoka Leila, this dream is to bring home Iran’s first gold medal. Her journey is derailed when she and her coach, Maryam, are faced with an ultimatum from the Iranian regime: Leila must forfeit the final match against an Israeli competitor.
As threats against her family in Iran escalate, Leila faces an impossible choice—fake an injury and comply with the regime or continue to fight for her dream.
Directors: Guy Nattiv, Zar Amir Ebrahimi
Cast: Arienne Mandi, Zar Amir Ebrahimi
Language: Persian, English (Greek subtitles)
IMDB rating: 7.5/10
Production countries: Georgia, USA, Israel, UK
Where to watch: Elli cinema, Cinobo Opera, The Greek Film Archive, Danaos cinema, Cinobo Patission
The Red Teacher (O Kokkinos Daskalos, 2024 )
Two historic political trials and executions have left a lasting mark on post-conflict Greece: the trials of Nikos Belogiannis and Nikos Ploumpidis, two leading figures of the Greek Communist Party and the wartime anti-Nazi resistance.
Ploumpidis died alone, slandered by both enemies and allies. His story, steeped in personal drama and collective tragedy, evokes the pathos of an ancient Greek tragedy. Stelios Charalampopoulos’s documentary premiered at the 26th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival.
Director: Stelios Charalampopoulos
Cast: N/A
Language: Greek
IMDB rating: 7.8/10
Production country: Greece
Where to watch: The Greek Film Archive, Diana cinema
My Favourite Cake (2024)
An elderly retired nurse and a former soldier-turned-taxi driver, almost half her size, cross paths in a modest restaurant where they use vouchers to pay for their meals. From their very first meeting, the essence of the film becomes clear: My Favorite Cake is a story about two people seeking refuge from loneliness.
Iranian directors Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha craft a tender narrative around Mahin and Faramarz, two individuals who believe their lives are over and that they are merely waiting for death. But perhaps there is something more—just as the film’s title hints at the sweetness of life yet to come.
Directors: Maryam Moghaddam, Behtash Sanaeeha
Cast: Lily Farhadpour, Esmail Mehrabi
Language: Persian (Greek subtitles)
IMDB rating: 7.5/10
Production countries: Iran, France, Sweden, Germany
Where to watch: The Greek Film Archive, Astor, Mikrokosmos, Galaxias cinema, Newman cinema, Avana, Diana, Varkiza, Zea cinema
Armor (2024)
James Brody, a security guard for an armored truck, and his son Casey find themselves unknowingly transporting millions of dollars in gold. Their routine job takes a perilous turn when they are ambushed by a group of robbers while on a bridge. Trapped and under siege, they must devise a plan to escape and survive.
Sylvester Stallone stars in a rare villainous role as Rook, the leader of the hijackers, in this action-packed thriller.
Director: Justin Routt
Cast: Jason Patric, Sylvester Stallone, Josh Wiggins, Dash Mihok
Language: English
IMDB rating: 3.5/10
Production country: The United States
Where to watch: Village cinemas (The Mall, Pangrati, Metro Mall, Rentis), Cinemax (Nirvana, Aello, Nana, Kifissia), WestCity cinemas, Options Cinemas (Glyfada, Ilion)
Return of the Creeps (2023)
Set in Athens in 1982, Return of the Creeps chronicles the rise and influence of Creep Records, one of Greece’s first independent record labels. Despite its short lifespan, the label played a pivotal role in shaping the Greek New Wave and Post-Punk music scene, hosting some of the most significant bands of the era.
Director: Nikos Chantzis
Cast: Ilias Anastasopoulos, Giannis-Lysias Anastasopoulos, Dimitris Bouras, Akis Boyatzis
Language: Greek
IMDB rating: 8.5/10
Production country: Greece
Where to watch: Studio New Star Art cinema
The Snow Queen and the Princess (2022)
Kai and Gerda live in a peaceful, cozy town until the arrival of the Icy Spirits, who aim to freeze everything in their path. To save their home, the siblings team up with Ila, a young wizardess, on a magical journey to Mirrorland. Their goal: to send the Icy Spirits back and restore warmth and harmony.
Directors: Andrey Korenkov, Aleksey Tsitsilin
Cast: Lina Ivanova, Polina Voychenko, Yuri Romanov, Maria Shustrovna, Svetlana Kuznetsova
Konstantin Panchenko, Andrey Tenetko
Language: Dubbed with Greek audio
IMDB rating: 4.3/10
Production country: Russia
Where to watch: Cinemax (Nirvana, Kifissia, Aello), Tria Asteria 3D digital, The Village Cinemas (The Mall, Pangrati, Metro Mall, Rentis), Sporting digital cinema, Anoixi Art cinema, WestCity cinemas, Options cinemas (Ilion, Glyfada)
Special Screening
The Hellenic American Union screens the Academy Award-winning 1960s classic Charade, starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant, this Tuesday, January 14, at 7:15 PM. Admission is free.
