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Real life Melina, stage Melina, Melina from the screen, Melina in politics... The personal Melina, the public Melina, the international Melina.

This is included in the exhibition "Melina Mercouri Street" that opened on Tuesday, 4 March, at the Benaki Museum on Piraeus Street, curated by Lili Pezanou: pictures of Melina, presented in Manouella Pavlidou’s album edition simply entitled “Melina”. They are divided thematically and exhibited on the walls of the hall on the first floor. Cubes with her photographs can also be seen among them, as well as posters of her films and costumes of her performances. Melina’s dressing room, which has been specifically transferred from the Theatre Museum, is exhibited in the same hall, with personal objects and documents.

A small extract from the theatrical play “2013 Melina M” by Constantinos Aspiotis was presented before the opening of the exhibition, followed by the ceremony of the Melina Mercouri Awards. This year’s winner was Gioylika Skafida. Lena Drosaki and Nadia Kondoiorgi were also among the contestants. The jury included Maia Liberopoulou (Chairman), Dio Kangelari, Matina Kaltaki, Dimitris Lignadis and Reni Pitaki.

The reason for all this was the 20th anniversary since the death of Melina Mercouri. Therefore, the Melina Mercouri Foundation, in collaboration with the Benaki Museum, will undertake a series of initiatives in order to honour the woman who has not been forgotten. At the same time they announced the creation of a Facebook page by Nikki Lalioti and Yiannis Koutrakis, which already has 24,000 likes. The Greek Post issued stamps and two collectible envelopes with stamps of Melina.

There will be interviews and documentaries on her path in art and politics within the exhibition. These include:

- Melina’s first audition in Paris, 1952, 5΄

- The show "Behind the scenes" of the Greek National Television, directed by Lakis Papastatis, entitled "Interview at Epidaurus”, 35΄

- The protest against the junta in Greece in Trafalgar Squar, London, 4΄

- Roviros Mantoulis’s film "Melina in Paris"

 - A dedication to Melina from George Douadzis, Greek National Television, 156΄

- The documentary of Greek television and ZDF television, directed by Laszlo Hartmann "The woman who was Greece", 60 ΄

- A dedication to Melina from Daphne Dzaferi, 36΄

- Antonis Lepeniotis’s movie "Ein Weltstar hat Heimweh - Melina Merour"

- The American CBS show "60 minutes, Madame Minister"

There will be parallel events, such as Film Panorama with movies of Melina Mercouri, discussions and a concert in the amphitheatre of the Benaki Museum during the exhibition on Sundays on 9 March and on 6 April. The programme of the Film Panorama can be seen on the site of the museum www.benaki.gr.