Banel & Adama (2023)
Even though Banel&Adama is Ramata-Toulaye Sy’s directorial feature, the film represented Senegal among the Official Selection entries of 76th Cannes Film Festival competing for the Palme d’Or. Set in a remote Senegalese village, the film follows Banel and Adama, a young couple deeply in love but at odds with their community. Banel dreams of escaping the village’s traditions, while Adama feels the weight of his responsibilities. Together, they must confront the village’s disapproval as they pursue a life beyond what is expected of them.
Director: Ramata-Toulaye Sy
Cast: Khady Mane, Mamadou Diallo
Languages: Pulaar, French (Greek subtitles)
IMDB rating: 6.4/10
Production countries: Mali, Senegal, France
Where to watch: Cinobo Opera, Cine Alexandra, Cine Diana, Cine Flerry
Red Island (L’île rouge2023)
Another film set against an African backdrop, Red Island follows Thomas, a young boy growing up on a French military base in colonized Madagascar during the early 1970s, where his father serves as an army officer. Through Thomas’s curious gaze, his personal experiences intertwine with the surrounding political upheaval, exposing him to a harsher reality than his childhood suggests.
Director: Robin Campillo
Cast: Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Quim Gutiérrez, Charlie Vauselle, Amely Rakotoarimalala, Hugues Delamarlière, Sophie Guillemin, David Serero
Language: French (with Greek subtitles)
IMDB rating: 5.9/10
Production countries: France, Belgium
Where to watch: Astor cinema, Karmen cinema, Aigli 3D digital cinema, Laura Europa cinemas digital, Stella Municipal cinema, Daphne cinema, Cine Philip, Varkiza cinema, Orfeas dolby digital cinema
Woman of the Hour (2023)
In her directorial debut, Anna Kendrick stars in Woman of the Hour, a crime thriller based on the true story of serial killer Rodney Alcala who was sentenced to death and linked to up to 130 victims. In 1978, during his killing spree, Alcala appeared on the popular TV show The Dating Game.
Kendrick’s film focuses on the chilling events surrounding Alcala’s appearance on the show, where he shockingly won a date with bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw.
Director:Anna Kendrick
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto, Nicolette Robinson, Tony Hale
Language: English
IMDB rating: 6.9/10
Production country: United States
Where to watch: Dexameni cinema, Cinobo Opera, Athinaion cinema, Cine Filothei, Ellinis Cinemax, Cine Pallini, Village Cinemas (The Mall, Rentis), Cine Chloe, Cinemax (Aello, Kifissia, Nana), Lila cinema, Aleka Municipal cinema, Aloma cinema, Sporting digital cinema, Konstantaras Movie Theater, Options cinemas (ilion), Cine Akti, Cine Arian, Cine Galazia Akti, Koralli Cinemax
Bâtiment 5 (Les Indésirables, 2023)
Following the sudden death of the mayor of an underprivileged Parisian suburb, Pierre, a young and idealistic doctor, is appointed as his successor. Committed to upholding the former mayor’s vision, he plans to continue efforts to “revitalize” the working-class neighborhood. Haby, a young French woman of Malian descent who lives in one of the deteriorating tower blocks, becomes an activist for the “undesirables” as she fights to prevent her family from being displaced from the community where she was raised.
Director: Ladj Ly
Cast: Alexis Manenti, Anta Diaw
Language: French (with Greek subtitles)
IMDB rating: 6.4/10
Production country: France
Where to watch: Cinobo Opera, Cine Alexandra, Cine Marilena, Cine Flerry
Sing Sing (2023)
Based on the real-life “Rehabilitation Through the Arts” program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison, Greg Kwedar blends actors with real-life alumni of the program in daring cinematic project. The story follows Diivine G, imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, as he finds purpose in a prison theater group alongside other incarcerated men, including a reluctant newcomer. The film explores the transformative power of art and theater within prison walls.
Director: Greg Kwedar
Cast: Colman Domingo, Clarence Maclin, Sean San José, Paul Raci
Language: English
IMDB rating: 8.1/10
Production country: United States
Where to watch: Cinobo Opera, Cine Alexandra, Cine Marilena, Cine Flerry
Slow (2023)
Slow, which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, follows the story of Elena, a dancer, and Dovydas, a sign language interpreter, as they build a unique and intimate relationship. Together, they must navigate the challenges of creating their own kind of romantic connection while embracing each other’s differences.
Director: Marija Kavtaradzė
Cast: Greta Grinevičiūtė, Kęstutis Cicėnas, Pijus Ganusauskas, Laima Akstinaitė
Language: Lithuanian (with Greek subtitles)
IMDB rating: 8.1/10
Production countries: Spain, Lithuania, Sweden
Where to watch: Cinobo Opera, Mikrokosmos cinema, Danaos cinema, Cine Diana
Sparrow’s Call (2023)
Mike, a successful married man, becomes infatuated with exotic dancer Val after rescuing her from a dangerous situation. As their relationship deepens, Mike faces the consequences of his affair, with his marriage and career on the line, especially as Val holds the power to change everything.
Director: Tim Kent
Cast: Anita Albrecht, Taz Ayoub, David Bark-Jones
Language: English
IMDB rating: 6.2/10
Production country: United Kingdom
Where to watch: Cinobo Opera, Danaos cinema, Margarita cinema, Artemis Municipal cinema, Cinemax (Kifissia, Aello, Nana), Village Cinemas (The Mall, Pangrati, Rentis), Tria Asteria 3D digital, Cine Argyroupoli, Dionysia cinema, Sporting Digital Cinema, Katerina digital cinema, Asteri digital cinema, Maria-Elena Onar digital cinema, Options cinemas (Ilion), Varkiza cinema, Municipal cinema Cineac
Dourgouti Town (2024)
Dimitris Bavelas’ documentary Dourgouti Town, premiering at the 26th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, serves as an ode to the neighborhood of Dourgouti, now known as Neos Kosmos. Through the perspective of a real estate agent interested in investing in the area, Bavelas explores the past, present, and uncertain future of this once-degraded district, which resembles a deserted island nestled next to the Acropolis, reflecting the fate of similar neighborhoods around the world.
Director: Dimitris Bavelas
Cast: Haris Alexiou, Stathis Kokkoris, Vasilis Yakoumaros
Language: Greek (there’s no info regarding subs)
IMDB rating: N/A
Production country: Greece
Where to watch: Mikrokosmos cinema, Diana cinema
AfrAId (2024)
In Chris Weitz’s science fiction horror Afraid, an American family is selected to test a new home device, an AI assistant called AIA. As AIA learns the family’s behaviors, it begins to anticipate their every need, but soon, it becomes clear that AIA will go to any lengths to keep the family’s life in perfect order—even if it means eliminating any threats.
Director: Chris Weitz
Cast: John Cho, Katherine Waterston, Havana Rose Liu, Lukita Maxwell, Ashley Romans, Greg Hill, Riki Lindhome, David Dastmalchian, Keith Carradine
Language: English
IMDB rating: 5.1/10
Production country: United States
Where to watch: Village cinemas (The Mall, Rentis, Pangrati), Tria Asteria 3D digital, Foivo digital cinema, Lampros Konstantaras Movie Theater, Options cinemas (Ilion, Glyfada), Foivos digital cinema, Alex digital cinema
US Animation film 10 Lives is also available in most cinemas, however dubbed into Greek.
In Re-Release
Soldiers of Salamina (Soldados de Salamina, 2003)
This Goya Award-winning film by David Trueba follows Lola, a weary novelist who investigates a true story from the final days of the Spanish Civil War. She uncovers the tale of Rafael Sánchez Mazas, a writer and Falangist who escaped execution and was spared by a soldier. As Lola pieces together this enigmatic story, she delves into the contradictions and mystery surrounding Mazas’s survival.
Director: David Trueba
Cast: Ariadna Gil, Ramón Fontserè, Joan Dalmau, María Botto, Diego Luna
Language: Spanish, Catalan, French (with Greek Subtitles)
IMDB rating: 6.7/10
Production country: Spain
Where to watch: Athenee cinema, Studio New Star art cinema
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