100 Years of Ulysses

Irish director Ruán Magan’s ‘100 Years of Ulysses’ came out in 2022 to honor the centenary anniversary of James Joyce’s homonymous book publication (1922). Magan’s documentary, devised by the historian Frank Callanan, unveils one of the 20th century’s literary masterpieces, widely known for its profound impact on the history of culture and literature.

Director: Ruán Magan
Cast: Ann Skelly, Eimear McBride, Paul Muldoon, John McCourt, Natasa Paulberg and Margaret O’Callaghan
Language: English
IMDB rating: 7.4/10
Production country: Ireland
Where to watch: Studio New Star Art Cinema

Imaginary

Jessica returns to her childhood residence, alongside her two stepdaughters. Soon her youngest stepdaughter, Alice, stumbles upon a stuffed teddy bear named Chauncey. When Alice begins to show increasingly disquieting behavior, Jessica intervenes only to uncover that Chauncey is far beyond the mere toy bear she believed him to be.

Director: Jeff Wadlow
Cast: DeWanda Wise, Taegen Burns, Pyper Braun
Language: English
IMDB rating: 4.7/10
Production country: United States
Where to watch: Village Cinemas, Cinemax (Aello, Nana), Alexandra digital cinema, Foivos digital cinema, Options Cinemas

Àma Gloria

Àma Gloria is a heartwarming and moving nanny-child drama featuring 6-year-old Cléo (Louise Mauroy-Panzani, who is 6 in real life) and her nanny Gloria (Ilça Moreno Zego). The two of them are inseparable until the day Gloria needs to return to her home country, Cape Verde. When Cléo visits Gloria in Cape Verde, the young girl and her nanny try to make the most out of their last summer together.

Director: Marie Amachoukeli
Cast: Ilça Moreno Zego, Louise Mauroy-Panzani, Arnaud Rebotini
Language: French (the film is screened with Greek subtitles)
IMDB rating: 6.8/10
Production country: France
Where to watch: Asty Cinema

The Last Emperor

Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor (1987), a biography of China’s last emperor, Pu Yi, returns to the cinematic screens. Nine times winner of the Academy Awards, Bertolucci’s film, adapted from 1964’s From Emperor to Citizen: The Autobiography of Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi, unveils Pu Yi’s life (starring John Lone) from his ascent to the throne as a small boy until his imprisonment and political rehabilitation by the Chinese Communist Party.

Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Cast: John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O’Toole, Ying Ruocheng, Victor Wong
Language: English, Mandarin, Japanese
IMDB rating: 7.7/10
Production countries: Italy, United Kingdom
Where to watch: Village cinemas, Cinobo Opera, Cinemax (Nirvana, Kifissia, Nana), Diana cinema, Atalntis classic cinemas, Maria Elena- Onar digital cinema, Options cinemas

KINO Athens Independent International Film Festival

A distinctly ‘Indie’ film extravaganza has been running this week till March 10, featuring the screening of 80 independent films offering free admission, with English and Greek subtitles. Held at the Technopolis, Serafio and the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation venues the festival is organized by KINO Athens Film Society with the support of the European Parliament.

Gasoline Rainbow”, USA, by The Ross Brothers