People watch a movie at an outdoor theater under the Acropolis, left, in Athens on June 1. After decades of decline, the Greek tradition of watching films outside on summer nights is showing signs of rebirth. After decades of decline, the Greek tradition of watching films outside on summer nights is showing signs of a rebirth. Some long-neglected theaters have received a facelift, and Athens' historic Aegli, which dates back to the silent film era, reopened last month. Most theaters have small concession tables with increasingly eclectic fare, from moussaka and meatballs to champagne and licorice ouzo.
Some venues fill with the scent of flowers as sweltering days become tolerable evenings.
And for cigarette-loving Greeks, it's fine to smoke away during the movie. If the fall rains hold off, the outdoor cinema season in Greece can stretch into November. Like American drive-ins, the outdoor theaters began to disappear, at the rate of up to 50 a year. A real outdoor cinema opened north of the city three years later. Nine theaters operate in Thessaloniki and dozens more are found across the rest of Greece, where various laws and rulings protect them as landmarks and candidates for state assistance.