#therino

[rawmant1ki]

Οι άγριες μέρες μας

<3

[elladastinkardiamou]

Time for Greece’s Open-air ‘Therino’ Cinema

It’s one of those notoriously hot Greek summer nights. You’ve been stuck in the house reading e-mails, texting friends, zooming colleagues and all you want to do is get out and leave your worries behind.

Enter “therino cinema” – one of the Greeks’ favorite pastimes.

At about the same time with the drive-ins of the 1950s and 1960s in the US, the “therino” or “summer” cinema was the mainstream outing for most of the Greeks. So much so that there were more than 540 open-air cinemas in Athens alone!

All about Greece's 'therino' open-air cinemas Every district had its own located usually in the back of massive apartment blocks with gravel on the ground and our absolutely favourite “director’s chairs”.

Some, like the Vox in Exarchiea (1938) or the Cine Paris in Plaka were located on a rooftop. Many of Greece’s outdoor cinemas – mostly in the towns and villages – also featured traditional Karaghiozis shadow puppet theatre before the main screenings.

Neighbours would gather when the sun set to watch their favorite movie outside and have an orange juice, a Coke or some ice cream.

Greece’s therino cinema has come a long way since the 60s. Many sadly closed down but there are still some in Athens and around Greece that have taken it up a notch.

[agalazoula]

~ θερινό ~