Skiathos Open-Air
Summer Cinema
A little bit of history
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ΘΕΡΙΝΟ ΣΙΝΕΜΑ – SUMMER CINEMA
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Warm, lazy evenings under the night sky.
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Mopeds & street noises in the distance.
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Cool drinks on shared tables.
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In the early 1900's, during the summer months, silent movies were projected onto cloth screens in squares around Greece’s capital …. & viewing was free.
By the 1960's, over 500 Open-Air Cinemas were in the Attica region alone.
Comedies and tragedies of the buzzing & iconic Greek movie industry were screened
& the actors of this era became national treasures. (Entrance was no longer free!)
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Roof-tops, spaces between apartment buildings, municipal squares all turned into cinemas during the summer months.
2 screenings per evening after dark meant the ‘late show’ often went into the small hours.
The limited copies of a movie were shared between cinemas & shuttled by waiting mo-peds during the reel-changes. Intervals were lengthy!
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Skiathos’ ATTIKON Therino/Summer Cinema was purpose built in 1964 behind one of the island’s olive factories.
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Locals have wonderful, nostalgic stories of their youth at the cinema in their pre-TV days.
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Lots of shouting at the projectionist to hurry up with reel changes, performing school plays on the stage & plenty remember working here at some time!
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In the early 1980's a roof was added for winter screenings. A heavy snowfall brought the roof down a few years later - and that's how you see our cinema today!
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Fast forward to the 21st Century…..
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Video cassettes (remember them!), DVD’s & internet streaming all changed how we watched movies, but the biggest change for movie making & projection happened around 15 years ago. Digital Movie Projection was introduced.
After over 100 years of celluloid, film reels were no more.
The beautiful film projectors, reel winders & splicers we started with are now retired.
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Today, a Digital Barco Projector fills our screen. Movies are delivered to us on hard drive & our projectionist is (fortunately) a tech wizard!
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These changes in movie viewing & ultimately projection have, understandably, affected cinema attendance worldwide ….
… and so, we thank you VERY MUCH for your support
at our 60 year old Summer Cinema!
