Melína Merkoúri , or Melina Mercouri (Greek:
Μελίνα Μερκούρη
, born with Athens the October 18th 1920 and died with New York the March 6th 1994), is an actress, singer and political woman Greek.
Biography
María Amalía Mercoúri was born in a family from the Athenian upper middle class
. His/her grandfather,
Spyrídon Merkoúris, was mayor of Athens and his father, député.
It Marie at 15 years to flee the family circle. She divorces to 18 and is registered at the Dramatic Institute of the National theater of Athens. She then begins a career of actress who is held between Athens and Paris, working in particular with
Marcel Achard.
The Greek scenario writer
Michael Cacoyannis (realizer of
Zorba the Greek ) offers to him its first role with the cinema in
1955 in
Stella , film which brings from the start to him notoriety. A little later it meets the American realizer in exile
Jules Dassin of which it became the egery. Dassin makes it turn in eight films and they marry in
1966. The film
Jamais Sunday (
1960) brings to the couple a great international repute. For this film, Melina Mercouri receives the price of female role to the
Cannes festival and is named with the Oscars.
Following the coup d'etat fomented in Greece by the colonels in 1967, deprived of its civic rights, Melina Mercouri is exiled in France. In international rounds, it is consequently made the cantor of Greek resistance to the dictatorship.
As of the fall of the dictatorship, in 1974, it returns to Greece where it starts a political career which brings it to gradually stopping the cinema. She will be successively appointed Pasok of the Pirée in 1978 and Ministre for the Culture (see Politique of Greece) of 1981 with 1989 then of 1993 until her death. She fought in particular, but without success, for the return of the planks of the Parthenon, exposed to the British Museum.
The foundation Melina Mercouri deals today with the safeguarding of the ancient Greek monuments.
Quotations
When the dictatorship deprived it of its Greek citizenship, she says: “I was born Greek and I will die Greek. Mr. Pattakos was born dictator and will die dictator. ”
She also left a song " Kai will pira elected oti den imou pia romia". ("
And I received the news which I was not any more Greek blood. ")
Catalog of films
Discography
- 1971 : Melina , album, Polydor
Publications
- 1971 I was born Greek , autobiography.
External bonds