The 16th AOAFF powered by DEI presents Jean-Jacques Beineix’s legendary "Diva" in a restored print
On Thursday, July 16, the 16th Athens Open Air Film Festival powered by DEI will screen one of the most influential films in French cinema, Jean-Jacques Beineix’s "Diva", at the upper-level atrium of the Arsakeio Arcade. Free Admission.
As part of the “Summer in the Atrium” concept, STOA Culture, with DEI as Grand Sponsor, welcomes one of the most iconic films of contemporary French cinema to the atrium of the Arsakeion Arcade. The screening of Diva (1981) is presented in collaboration with the Athens International Film Festival, on the occasion of France’s National Day and as part of the Plein-Air Festival of the French Institute of Greece.
In the early 1980s, Jean-Jacques Beineix emerged to herald the arrival of a thoroughly modern and highly stylised form of cinema, in which the image takes centre stage. To this day, Diva remains one of the most legendary and influential works of contemporary French cinema.
Beginning with the illegal recording of a famous soprano, the film unfolds as a gripping modern noir in which a young admirer, mysterious outsiders and dangerous criminals cross paths in a Paris filled with beauty, tension and ever-present danger. Through his incomparable visual style, Beineix transforms the French capital into a captivating metropolis of wonders and threats.
Forty-five years after its original release, Diva returns to the big screen in a digitally restored version, offering audiences the opportunity to discover—or relive—one of the most important works of European cinema.
In a venue with a distinctive historical and architectural identity, STOA Culture, with DEI as Grand Sponsor, transforms the elevated atrium of the Arsakeion Arcade into an open-air summer cinema, hosting unique film experiences in the heart of Athens.
Director: Jean-Jacques Beineix | Cast: Frédéric Andréi, Thuy An Luu, Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, Richard Bohringer, Dominique Pinon | Duration: 117 minutes | Year of production: 1981
The screening is being held to mark French National Day, in collaboration with the Plein-Air Festival of the French Institute of Greece.
When: Thursday, July 16 | 9:30 p.m.
Where: Upper-level atrium of the Arsakeio Arcade, entrance at 5 Pesmazoglou Street | Free Admission
STOA Culture - Culture in the City
As the first experience to come to life within the STOA ecosystem, STOA Culture, with DEI as Grand Sponsor, raises the curtain on the five core experiences of the concept that will follow at the Arsakeion Arcade.
The annual cinematic celebration of the 16th Athens Open Air Film Festival powered by DEI begins in an uplifting and diverse spirit, once again transforming some of Athens’ most beautiful and historically significant locations into spectacular open-air cinemas and unforgettable viewing experiences for both the city’s residents and its many visitors.
From May 18 to August 26, 2026, audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy, free of charge and under technologically advanced screening conditions, a rich and colourful programme combining classic masterpieces, contemporary works and special collaborations with cultural organisations and institutions.
