Stadiou Street

Acclaimed French-Canadian filmmaker Francois Girard returns with his most ambitious project yet, the historical drama "Hochelaga, Land of Souls," which explores an important chapter in the history of Quebec's indigenous people.

The annual Francophone Film Festival is back to celebrate the French language on screen, with the theme of this year's event being fashion and luxury. Around 50 films from French-speaking countries around the world will be screened at the Danaos (109 Kifissias & Panormou) and Astor (28 Stadiou, Stoa Korai) cinemas, as well as at the French Institute (31 Sina, Kolonaki).

Two unions will be holding separate rallies in central Athens on Thursday evening to protest a law imposing strict penalties on anyone trying to prevent foreclosure auctions.

Many areas around the centre of Athens are in complete lockdown, as celebrations for the 44th anniversary of the 1974 Polytechnic uprising will culminate Friday with the traditional march towards the US Embassy later in the day.

Several key streets in the center of the capital will be either fully or partially closed between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday as some 15,000 runners participate in the 31st Athens Run.

Drivers are advised to avoid Stadiou Street in central Athens for the next couple of weeks as roadworks are due to begin late Friday.

The work, linked to the installation of a natural gas network, is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. and is expected to last for 15 days.

Various sections of Stadiou will be blocked off as a result of the engineering work that has to be carried out.

Athens will be under tight security control in the wake of French President Emmanuel Macron’s arrival at the Greek capital, Thursday. Greek police have made blocked streets and roads in the centre of Athens and surrounding routes during his stay in the Greek capital. Traffic measures have already taken effect and will last until 3pm.

In the first half of 2017 the stores that close in downtown Athens are at a steady 28%, according to a survey by the Greek Confederation of Trade and Entrepreneurship.

More specifically at Harilaou Trikoupi the closed stores are 45,1%, at Ippocratous str. 39,3%, at Sophocleous str. 38,7%, at Stadiou str. 34,3%, at Panepistimiou avenue 33,9% and at Evripidou str. 29,4%.

The Astor movie theater in downtown Athens will be screening three often overlooked or under-appreciated Greek films that have risen to cult status on Monday, May 29. They are Kostas Manoussakis's "Treason" (no subtitles) at 6.30 p.m., Takis Kanellopoulos's "Glory Sky" (French subtitles) at 8.30 p.m. and "The Excursion" (English subtitles) by the same director at 10.15 p.m.

One of the Greek capital's most overlooked historic monuments, Pyrgos Vassilissis, or the Queen's Tower, in the suburb of Ilion, is a beautiful example of Gothic architecture built by Queen Amalia in 1854 after the plot was purchased from two Britons who wanted to develop a model farm.