The Greek Film Directors-Producers Union (ESPEK), the Association of Independent Audiovisual Producers (SAPOE), and the Greek Documentary Union (EEN) are returning today to the issue of preserving the use of Ideal and Astor as cinemas.

In the event of a negative decision “they will oppose it by any means and means”.

In their joint letter, today, to the Minister of Environment and Energy Kostas Skrekas, which they share with the Deputy Minister of Culture N. Giatromanolakis and the e-EFKA administrator Panagiotis Doufexis, the unions state that “e-EFKA, in contrast to previous public placement of it, he disagrees with justifications – especially in the case of the Ideal – that cause shyness, using excerpts from journals about the future of cinema and presenting the return of the Ideal to its 100-year-old use as a theater as a natural evolution of the times (!)”.

The following is the full text of the open letter of ESPEK, SAPOE, EEN:

“Since last year, we have been following the case of declaring the historical theaters of the center of Athens, Astor and Ideal, to be preserved or not as cinemas.

Your ministry with its explanatory report on 23/01/2023 has been in favor of preserved use for both cinemas.

Nevertheless, e-EFKA, contrary to its previous public position, disagrees with justifications – especially in the case of Ideal – that cause shyness, using excerpts from journals about the future of cinema and presenting the return of Ideal to its 100-year-old use as theater as a natural evolution of the times (!).

Unless something changes – because it has already been postponed twice – your ministry committee will meet until the end of March to make a final decision on the matter.

We wish to declare, in view of this important decision, our firm position in favor of the declaration of preserved use of the Astor and the Ideal as cinemas for the good of the culture of the country and the life of our city.

And we conclude by saying that in the event of a negative decision, we will oppose it by all means and means”.