ATHENS
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Weekly supplement by Insider Publications • www.insider-publications.com • No 108 • Friday, July 15, 2016 The Birds by Aristophanes
BEFORE I DIE
The Oracle of Dodona
Aristophanes’ remarkable and poetic comedy The Birds flies the coop to the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, August 19-20. Penned in 414BC, The Birds essentially addresses Man’s hunger to fly, to create a new world, and to come into contact with his innermost desire. Tickets from €10. Tel: 213.017.8000, www.sgt.gr
Don’t miss your last chance to leave your personal mark on Candy Chang’s world-famous installation before it leaves town, July 20. Chang’s liberating work is a reminder of what really matters to people, both individually and as societies. Onassis Cultural Centre, Syngrou 107. Tel: 210.900.5800, sgt.gr
Acropolis Museum presents a new thematic exhibition, devoted to the oracle of Dodona, until January, that Greece’s oldest oracle, its functioning, its role and importance in the ancient world, while examining our eternal human need to predict the future. Dionysiou Areopagitou 15, Tel: 210.900.0900.
CITY LIFE
dubbed the “Princess of the Pole Vault” by the Greek Media. The 25-year-old Athenian set a personal best four times (4.56 m, 4.60 m, 4.61 m and finally 4.77 m - which was temporarily a national record) during the 2015 indoor season, culminating with a silver medal at the 2015 European Indoor Championships. Then in 2016 she set a national record with a huge leap of 4.90 m at the Millrose Games, which ranks her at fourth place of all time in the event, tied with Demi Payne who jumped the same height at the same meet. At the World Indoor Championships in Portland she won the bronze medal with a leap of 4,80 m, while setting an outdoor national record of 4,86m at the Filothei Gala in Athens, Greece. Nothing but a podium finish will do for this determined athlete.
The Gold Rush Greeks Graham Wood introduces the young Greek Olympic hopefuls with Rio firmly in their sights. It’s hard to believe that four years have passed since the 2012 London Olympics. Yet, here we are on the cusp of another edition of sports Biggest Show on Earth – this time in Rio, Brazil – and there are plenty of reasons for Greeks to get excited… “Greece, you can!” (Ellada Mporeis!). The catchy motto for the nation’s Olympic campaign is as simple as it is full of positivity – something which the country needs a huge dollop of in these testing times. And the truth is that for the upcoming Olympics in Rio, Greece actually does have cause for optimism where medal hopes are concerned. Despite the crippling budget cuts which have decimated the capabilities of Greece’s amateur and professional athletics set-up, raw talent and hard work will always elevate those chosen few to the elite level required of Olympic athletes. Here are Greece’s big hopes for Rio 2016:
He finishes consistently among the top eight in the world and although still relatively young at the last Olympics in 2012, he considered finishing seventh as “a major blow”. Rio could very well be the year that we see Filippidis on the podium.
TV THIS WEEK Outcast 1
Kyle and Reverend Anderson come up against an unusual possession. Wednesday @ 23.30 on Fox.
How To Get Away With Murder 2
The Keating 5 are called into questioning by A.D.A Denver about the night Emily Sinclair was murdered. Wednesday @ 23.45 on Fox. Watch FOX and FoxLife on NOVA, OTE TV, Vodafone, CYTA
CINEMA THIS WEEK
La corrispondenza
An English-language Italian romantic film about the relationship between an astronomer and his lover, who spend their years apart. With Jeremy Irons, Olga Kurylenko and Simon Johns.
Ice Age: Collision Course
Manny, Diego, and Sid join up with Buck to fend off a meteor strike that would destroy the world. With Adam Devine, Simon Pegg, Jennifer Lopez
ART & CULTURE
Music
Astronomy
Ilias Iliadis (Judo) It’s hard to believe that the Georgian-born judoka is still only 29. Born Jarji Zviadauri, Iliadis’s family moved to Greece in the 2003 where he was adopted by Nikos Iliadis. Representing Greece from the start of his international career, he won a gold medal in the half-middleweight (81 kg) division at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens at just 17. A consistent performer ever since, Illiadis also won a gold medal six years later at the 2010 World Judo Championships in Tokyo in the −90 kg category. After picking up a bronze at London 2012 four years ago in the middleweight (90 kg) category, Iliadis will be hoping to make it a golden performance in Rio.
Katerina Stefanidou (Track & Field, Pole Leftheris Petrounias (Gymnastics) Vault) What else can be said about this man’s The last 24 months have been phenomremarkable talent? The 25-year-old from enal for this young lady, who had been Athens is currently Greece’s golden boy of athletics. The reigning World and European champion on the still rings, Petrounias is in the form of his life. Chosen as the first torch bearer for the Olympic torch relay after the Spyros Gianniotis (10 km open water flame was ignited at Olympia on 21 April swimming) 2016, he is among the favorites for a gold Liverpool-born Gianniotis is still hungry for medal in Rio. medals at 36. After representing Greece at four consecutive Summer Olympics, startKonstantinos Filippidis (Track & Field, ing in 2000, he became world champion in Pole Vault) 2011 in the 10 km open water swim at the Leading Greece’s strong lineup in the pole world championships in Shanghai. Gianvault, Filippidis is at the peak of his powniotis also claimed gold at the 2013 World ers at 29. Having recovered from a doping Aquatics Championships in Barcelona in scandal in 2007-09, when he was found the men’s 10 km open water swimming, guilty of using the performance enhancing after suffering heartbreak at the 2012 Lonsubstance etilephrine, he went on to be don Olympics. Four years ago he missed crowned World Indoor Champion in 2014.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Stargaze at Thiseon Observatory View the celestial wonders of the summer sky as the National Observatory in Thissio opens for evening tours every Wed, Fri and Sat in July and August (except for 7-18 of Aug). Peer through the 8m dome of the Doridis telescope. Entry €10, Lofos Nymfon, Thiseio, tel: 210.349.0036, astro.noa.gr
Alexi Pappas (Track & Field, 10,000m) More of an enigma than simply an athlete, USA-born Alexi, who has dual USA-Greek citizenship, is also an actress and filmmaker. The 26-year-old is among the fastest seven or so American women in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters but decided to opt to run for Greece, where her grandmother was born. Pappas will run the 10,000m having easily met the Olympic standard of 32 minutes 15 seconds (she finished in 31:46.85) at a race in Stanford, Calif., on May 1. Pappas’ appeal transcends her performances on the track, however. She is a poet, essayist, actress and filmmaker whose semiautobiographical movie, “Tracktown,” in which she stars as a middle-distance runner seeking a life of balance in a sport of immersive dedication, had its premiere on June 4 at the Los Angeles Film Festival.
the bronze medal by only five seconds in the 10 km marathon swim. Will Rio be his swansong?
Danish Full Moon Concerts Two evenings of free musical performances on July 19 & 20 as Danish and Greek musicians join forces under the full moon at the Danish Institute with composers Stubbe Teglbjærg, C. Farmakis. P. Velianitis, A. Logothetis, and O. Karamanlis. diathens.gr
Theatre Waiting for Godot Watch Samuel Beckett’s absurdist tragicomedy “Waiting for Godot” that has both fascinated and perplexed theatre-goers since premiering in 1953. Its two main characters wait in vain for the arrival of Godot. From July 14-31 at the Benaki Museum, 138 Pireos & Andronikou, tel: 210.345.3111,benaki.gr. Tickets €20
GASTRONOMY
Liquid Gold in Samos In this Olympic Special, even our cocktails have the Midas Touch this week. Insider spent the weekend in Samos and Try our favourite: has fallen hard. Both for this exceedingly Ginger Wine beautiful island and its world-famous * Samos Doux 100ml appellation the Samian Muscat, which * Ginger ale 50ml strikes the perfect base note for any num- * Lime ber of refreshing summer cocktails. You’ll Pour Samos wine into a highball glass, fill find Samos Doux in many Greek super- up with ginger ale and garnish with a lime markets in Athens. Just bring your own wedge and plenty of ice cubes. So simple. sunset! So good. For more amazing Samos summer cocktails, visit www.samoswine.gr/uk/pdfs/samoscoctails.pdf
Step back in time to the 1896 Olympics! In this Olympic Year, looking back at the first Modern Games infuses us not only with a fine nostalgia for a more poetic, pre-digital age … but for the beginnings of a modern idealistic European thought. The 120th anniversary of the first Modern Olympics, which were staged symbolically in Athens in 1896, has been marked by an evocative visual exhibition. In a joint venture between the Benaki Museum, Costa Navarino Resort, and Athens International Airport, you can revisit these historical games through the images of official Games photographer Albert Mayer. Prominent Greek visual artist and curator Eva Nathena used Mayer’s archived photos in a modern-day video art installation. His wonderful images depict athletes, officials and spectators enjoying the revived games at the Panathenaic Stadium under the Greek sun.
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“The first Olympic Games journal made up of Albert Mayer’s historic photographs is one of the jewels of the Benaki Museum archives and a valuable testimony” to the games’ past,” says Benaki Museum director Olivier Descotes. Added curator, Ms. Eva Nathena: “The
documentation of the first Olympic Games in the modern era symbolizes the restoration of the Olympic athletic ideals. Visitors will get a chance to come into contact with unique material and explore the values showcased and their importance in the shaping of modern European thought.” The revival of the Games in their birthplace linked the classical past with the ideals of modern sport. The New Olympics were the starting point for the organization of international meetings
governed by the ‘fair play’ principles imposed by the Olympic spirit. The resurrection of the best known games of antiquity earned global visibility and prestige for the host city, captivating intellectuals and stimulating Europe’s economy. The exhibition will be held at the “Art & Environment” space in the Athens International Airport from May 16 to Sept 16, and will also run at the Symbol Hall of Costa Navarino resort, in the region of Messinia, southwest Peloponnese, until Nov 30