Taking place on the island of Hydra “The Girl in Black” is about Marina, a young woman living in a constant state of sorrow and oppression. Marina's sister drowned herself, her brother is both headstrong and weak, and her widowed mother has a reputation for sleeping around. Plus, Marina, who' s family was rich before the war, is aloof: so she's the object of the jealousy and scorn of Hydra's young men, especially Christos, whom she rejected. She fears harassment whenever she leaves her house. When two Athenians on vacation board at Marina's family home, things come to a head: she and Pavlos, one of the visitors, fall in love. The young men in town stalk and jeer her; then play a cruel trick on Pavlos that goes awry with tragic results.
The “Girl in Black” participated in Cannes and Moscow International Film Festival-in1958 and was awarded Hollywood Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film and Silver Bear (in Moscow Film Festival in the same year. As Cacoyannis mentioned “A Girl in Black” shows the oppression of women in the country. The main protagonists Ellie Lambeti (Marina) and Dimitris Horn (Pavlos) filmed in claustrophobic frames by Walter Lassaly try to stay together in a conservative and at times inhuman local society of strict rules.
Scriptwriter and director of the film, and a prominent figure of classical Greek cinema, Michael Cacoyannis (1922–2011) was born in Limassol, Cyprus and was the elder son of Sir Panayiotis and Lady Cacoyannis. He studied law in London and was called to the Bar (Barrister-at-law) in 1943. While working for the BBC’s Greek service, first as a news announcer and then as a producer of cultural programs, he also studied acting at the Central School of Dramatic Art in London and directing at the Old Vic School. Not long after his debut as an actor in 1947, he decided to concentrate instead on directing. In 1952 he left London to settle in Athens and one year later the success of his first film (“Windfall in Athens”) marked the beginning of an international career in directing. “Windfall in Athens” (Kiriakatiko Xipnima), filmed partly in the studios of Egypt, received the Prize of Merit at the Edinburgh Festival. Since the 50s, Cacoyannis directed 15 films, 36 plays, and 7 operas in Greece, the U.S.A., and Europe. His films “Stella”, “A Girl in Black”, “A Matter of Dignity”, “Zorba the Greek” and the trilogy of “Electra”, “The Trojan Women” and “Iphigenia” were regularly screened at the most prestigious international film festivals, receiving awards and distinctions.
