The festival that introduced a beautiful village in Halkidiki to thousands of travelers.
Parthenonas in Sithonia, built on the slopes of Itamos, with stone houses, a handful of alleys and views that reach as far as the Toroneos Gulf, is a historic Halkidiki settlement that over the past ten years has managed to link its name with one of Greece's most distinctive summer cinema experiences: the Parthenώn Film Festival.
To mark the festival's tenth anniversary, Magda Vlachou, one of the people who organize it, guides us not only through the festival but through the village itself. For someone who has never been to Parthenonas, Magda Vlachou describes the moment that distills all the festival's magic:
«The moment the lights go out and the projector flickers on. We all become one beneath the oak tree, sitting side by side and savoring the magic of the moment. The accidental touch on the hand, the smell of freshly popped popcorn, the sound of a soda or a beer being opened, the scrape of a plastic chair on the stone square compose a scene that's real and magical at the same time. It's an almost ritual moment. It's no accident that at that instant we see only happy faces».
The village that takes you back to childhood
Perhaps that's the festival's secret. It's not only about the films, but about the feeling the place itself creates.
«Parthenonas has the "gift" of preserving its authenticity, whether it's the festival or any other event that takes place. People who visit us know very well they'll experience something genuine and true, something from their lost childhood. Let's not forget that a few decades earlier our parents, then small children, watched cinema in the same square. Our visitors feel the same way now».
If you find yourself in Parthenonas before the afternoon screening, she suggests first giving yourself over to the village. «Parthenonas leads you on its own. Only if you lose yourself within its few alleys will you perceive the beauty of the architecture, of nature, of simplicity. Personally, my favorite route is the one that leads to the chapel of Agios Athanasios. Through a little lane with beautiful houses and majestic nature you reach a church with surroundings that reward you».
As for the sunset? «Parthenonas is a postcard. It's enough to turn your gaze, wherever you may be, to admire this grandeur, a lush green landscape and the sun disappearing behind the sea». Over the festival's ten years, the organizers have seen people return again and again.
«What's truly striking to us is that every year we meet the same familiar faces who love the festival and fell in love with Parthenonas. It's like making a date with the friends of summer. At the same time, though, more and more "new" friends are added each year to the admirers of this small village». For those who decide to spend more than a few hours in the settlement, there's a gift that doesn't easily fit into photos or posts. «Its deafening silence. Parthenonas "imposes" a calm we don't easily encounter in our demanding everyday life. Staying here, even for a day, you attune to the environment. The pace slows, your breath changes, your thoughts simplify».
An ideal 24 hours in Parthenonas
If someone had only one day at their disposal, Magda Vlachou already has the program ready.
Wake with the dawn, breakfast at a guesthouse or a village café and then hiking on Itamos. Lunch at one of the settlement's tavernas, an afternoon visit to the Folklore Museum and, just before sunset, a book and a cool drink with a view. At night, of course, there's only one finale: the village square and the big screen.
In an era when most destinations chase publicity and social media, Parthenonas seems to follow its own path. «Parthenonas doesn't know labels. Whether you're a writer or an influencer, it's the same. You'll follow the village. Never the other way around. And that's genuineness, authenticity, simplicity and, ultimately, beauty». Perhaps that's why those who find themselves even once at the Parthenώn Film Festival don't remember only the films they saw. They remember the oak tree, the stone square, the chairs scraping across the paved square and that rare feeling that, even for a few hours, they found themselves in a place that still moves to its own rhythm.
