Last Historic Movie Theater of Athens, Ideal, Shuts Down

On Friday, the cult classic Pulp Fiction, by Quentin Tarantino, was the final film shown at the historic Ideal, one of Athens’ oldest movie theaters, before it shut down for good after more than a century in business.

The film screening began at 9pm, and was fully booked out ahead of schedule. Posting on social media, the Athens International Film Festival said: “After 102 years of operation, Athens’ most historic and magnificent [theater] has been forced to stop its screenings forever, despite the continuous reactions of countless citizens and the touching love of many thousands of cinemagoers.”

“Come and say goodbye together to the great cinema of our city, with one of the films that defined an era during its years of operation,” the statement continued.

The movie theater, which was founded in 1921, is housed in the patio building of the Schliemann-Mela Mansion on central Panepistimiou Street in Athens. It was designed by respected German architect Ernst Ziller.

The four-story building, one of four mansions built by Heinrich Schliemann, was previously owned by the Single Social Security Entity (EFKA).

It is now set to undergo a thirty-six million euro renovation to convert it into a luxury hotel, after the Greek state granted a thirty-five-year lease to Mitsis Hotels. The company confirmed this deal back in March.

Preserving the Athens movie theater

The planning proposals caused a stir among campaigners, who raised concerns over the preservation of Ideal movie theater.

They argued that the historical picture house, the first to bring Dolby Stereo sound to Greece, should remain open as one of the last bastions of cinema culture in central Athens. A bid to preserve the movie theater, made by the unions of Greek film producers and directors to the Ministry of Culture and Sports, was turned down.

The Ministry stated that the venue is not a listed monument or building of historical importance and sent the case to the Ministry of Energy and Environment to decide instead. In a statement issued in March, Mitsis Hotels promised to expand the use of the cinema, combining it “with that of a [theater] and conference [center].”

The hotel chain also revealed that the movie theater’s operation would be assigned “to an international company in the field of entertainment. Which will increase both its aesthetics and infrastructure as well as its visibility.”

At the time, campaigners were concerned that no guarantees were made to preserve the Athens theater. They also worried about the prospect of an international company, known for promoting independent operations, take over the screening venue.

In addition to Ideal, campaigners called for the preservation of two other historic movie theaters, Astor and Irida, on Panepistimiou Street.