“Melina Mercouri Returns to Hydra”
On the occasion of the Miaoulia 2015, the Fraternity of the Athenian Hydriots pays tribute to the charismatic personality of Melina Mercouri, 20 years after her passing.
The Fraternity of the Athenian Hydriots (http://www.aya.com.gr/), under the auspices and sponsorship of Hydra’s municipality, organizes a series of activities titled “Melina Mercouri Returns to Hydra,” dedicated to the memory of our beloved Melina. The main event will feature the very popular exhibition “Melina Mercouri Street” from the Melina Mercouri Foundation. Film screenings, musical events, and a treasure hunt highlighting the Footpath Systems of Hydra will be included in the festivities.
Hydra, apart from its natural beauty and history, was and remains a great destination for Cultural Tourism. The famous movie by Jules Dassin “ Phaedra” was filmed on the island in 1962. In the film Melina starred with Anthony Perkins. Throughout the summer, Hydra will host other important cultural events (see below “Events in Hydra”).
In the exhibition “Melina Mercouri Street”, the visitor participates in her international brilliant life, vision, dynamic spirit, artistic nature and political career. “Melina” is presented in the exhibition comprising photographic and audiovisual material.
Location: Melina Mercouri Hall – Hydra
Duration: May 29th to June 23d 2015
The exhibition “Melina Mercouri Street” was hosted in 2014:
• at the Benaki Museum – Athens (more than 10,000 visitors)
• at the Κάρολος Monastery – Chania / Crete
Melina Mercouri starred with Anthony Perkins in Pheadra, filmed on Hydra in the early 1960s. Her other films include Stella, Never on Sunday, Topkapi, and Promise at Dawn. She won the award for Best Actress at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival; she also received nominations for an Academy Award, a Tony Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and two BAFTA Awards.
A political activist during the Greek military junta of 1967–1974, she became a member of the Hellenic Parliament in 1977 and the first female Minister for Culture of Greece in 1981. In 1983, she conceived and proposed the programme of the European Capital of Culture, established by the European Union in 1985.
The Melina Mercouri Hall, the venue for this exhibition, is named in her honor.