Now Showing in Athens: This Week’s New Releases

I’m still Here ( Ainda Estou Aqui, 2024)

Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries) returns with a powerful drama set during one of Brazil’s darkest periods—the military dictatorship that gripped the country from the mid-1960s until 1985. Rather than focusing solely on political oppression, the film offers an intimate portrait of quiet resistance through the story of Eunice Paiva, a mother of five who is left to fend for her family after her husband, a political engineer, is arrested and vanishes without a trace.

Fernanda Torres delivers a haunting, Oscar-nominated performance as Eunice, embodying the resilience of a woman forced to navigate a world that has suddenly turned hostile. I’m Still Here paints a deeply personal yet universally resonant picture of loss, endurance, and the silent strength of those left behind.

The film premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, earning critical acclaim and winning Best Screenplay. It was named one of the Top 5 International Films by the National Board of Review. At the Golden Globes, Torres took home the award for Best Actress, while the film received multiple nominations, including at the Critics’ Choice and BAFTA. Making history, I’m Still Here became the first Brazilian-produced film ever nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, also earning nods for Best International Feature and Best Actress.

Director: Walter Salles
Cast:Fernanda Torres, Selton Mello, Fernanda Montenegro
Language: Portuguese
IMDB rating: 8.8/10
Production countries: Brazil, France
Where to watch: Asty cinema, The Greek Film Archive, Galaxias cinema, Cine Avana, Diana cinema, Cinemax (Kifissia, Aello, Nana), Village cinemas, Sporting digital cinema, Lampros Konstantaras movie theater, WestCity cinemas, Options cinemas, Zea cinema

La Plus Précieuse des Marchandises

Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist), La Plus Précieuse des Marchandises is a haunting animated drama that brings Jean-Claude Grumberg’s acclaimed 2019 novel to life.

Set during World War II, the film unfolds as a dark yet poetic fable about love, sacrifice, and the horrors of war. Deep in a snow-covered forest, an impoverished woodcutter and his wife struggle to survive. One day, a mysterious bundle is thrown from a passing train—inside lies a baby, a Jewish child cast away from a train bound for Auschwitz. The woman, longing for a child of her own, decides to raise the baby despite the grave dangers that come with such an act.

The film was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.

Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Cast: Dominique Blanc, Grégory Gadebois, Denis Podalydès
Language: French (Greek subs)
IMDB rating: 7.2/10
Production countries: France, Belgium
Where to watch: Cine Elli, Danaos cinema, The Greek Film Archive, Diana cinema, Cinemax (Kifissia, Aello, Nana), Sporting digital cinema

Mary, Marianna, Maria – The Unsung Greek Years of Callas

GNO Medea Callas, Morfoniou 1961 Epidaurus – photo Kleisthenis, GNO Archive

This illuminating documentary delves into the lesser-known formative years of Maria Callas, one of the most celebrated opera singers of all time. Directed by Michalis Asthenidis and Vasilis Louras, Mary, Marianna, Maria traces Callas’ early life in Greece, a period that shaped her extraordinary voice and artistic identity before she became a global icon.

The title reflects the three names Callas bore at different stages of her youth. Born Maria Kalogeropoulou, she arrived in Athens in 1937 after her parents’ separation and enrolled at the Greek National Conservatoire under the name “Mary.” By 1940, as she started performing at the Greek National Opera, she signed her first contracts as “Marianna.” It wasn’t until her triumphant return to Greece in 1957, performing at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, that she fully embraced the name Maria Callas—the one that would become synonymous with operatic brilliance.

Featuring never-before-heard recordings, rare archival material, and exclusive interviews with musicians and conductors who worked alongside her, Mary, Marianna, Maria offers a deeply personal and historically rich account of Callas’ early struggles and triumphs.

Directors: Michalis Asthenidis, Vasilis Louras
Language: Greek (English subs)
IMDB rating: 7.8/10
Production countries: Greece
Where to watch: Cinobo opera, CThe Greek Film Archive, Galaxias cinema, Diana cinema, Cinemax (Kifissia, Nana),

Captain America: Brave New World

Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, faces an international crisis as he uncovers a dangerous global conspiracy. Based on Marvel Comics, this is the fourth installment in the Captain America film series.

Director:Julius Onah

Cast: Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Xosha Roquemore
Language: English
IMDB rating: 5.9/10
Production country: United States
Where to watch: Athinaion cinema, Village cinemas, Aigli 3D digital, Tria asteria 3D digital, Cinemax (Aello, Nana), Sporting digital cinema, Anoixi art cinema, Lampros Konstantaras movie theater, Foivos digital cinema, WestCity cinemas, Options cinemas, Zea cinema

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

In this sequel to Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016), Bridget navigates life as a widow and single mother while reentering the dating scene. With help from family, friends, and her former flame Daniel, she juggles work, dating apps, and an unexpected connection with her son’s teacher.

Director: Michael Morris
Cast: Renée Zellweger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall, Jim Broadbent, Isla Fisher, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant
Language: English
IMDB rating: 6.9/10
Production countries: United States, United Kingdom, France
Where to watch: Athinaion, Aigli 3D digital, Cinemax (Kifissia), Tria asteria 3D digital, Village cinemas, Cinemax (Aello, Nana), Lampros Konstantaras movie theater, Foivos digital cinema, WestCity cinemas, Options cinemas, Municipal cinema Cineac

She loved blossoms more

Premiering at the 65^th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, this darkly comedic and surreal tale follows three brothers who build an unusual time-machine in order to bring their long-dead mother back to life. When their delusional father comes into the picture, the experiments go awry, and they descend into a psychedelic hellscape where the past and present fuse in this comedic yet deeply disturbing exploration of grief.

Director: Yannis Veslemes

Cast: Sandra Abuelghanam, Aris Balis, Alexia Kaltsiki
Language: Greek
IMDB rating:5.2/10
Production country: Greece
Where to watch: Astor cinema

Dog Man (2025)

Dog Man, half dog and half man, he is sworn to protect and serve as he doggedly pursues the feline supervillain Petey the Cat.

Director: Peter Hastings

Cast: Pete Davidson, Lil Rel Howery, Isla Fisher, Poppy Liu, Stephen Root, Billy Boyd, Ricky Gervais
Language: Greek audio
IMDB rating: 6.4/10
Production country: United States
Where to watch: Athinaion, Aigli 3D digital, Cinemax (Kiffisia, Aello, Nana), Village cinemas Tria Asteria 3D digital, Elize, Anoixi art cinema, Lampros Konstantaras movie theater, Foivos digital cinema, WestCity cinemas, Options cinemas, Zea cinema