A screening of historic significance will take place in the official Cannes Classics program at the Cannes Film Festival. The 1953 film Eva (1953 film) by Maria Plyta—the first female director in the history of Greek cinema—will be presented in the beloved Cannes Classics section, which showcases masterpieces of world cinema in newly restored prints. This marks the first time a restored Greek film is screened in this section’s history. The film had also been shown prior to its restoration as part of a spotlight on Plyta’s work organized by the Thessaloniki International Film Festival in November 2022.

Eva follows a married woman who, during her summer holidays, meets a young man and embarks on a brief romantic affair with him, provoking her husband’s anger and the critical gossip of the island’s small community. The screenplay is by Andreas Lambrinou, while the music is composed by Mikis Theodorakis—his first work for cinema. The film stars Nina Sgouridou, Alekos Alexandrakis, Manos Katrakis, Aliki Georgouli, and Dinos Iliopoulos.

Maria Plyta, a pioneering figure in Greek cinema, was born in Thessaloniki in 1915 and passed away in 2006. She initially worked in literature before entering film production in the late 1940s, collaborating with directors such as Alekos Sakellarios and Giorgos Tzavellas. She made her directorial debut in 1950 with Betrothals, one of the most notable Greek folkloric films of its era, featuring set designs by Yannis Tsarouchis. With 17 films to her name, Plyta is now recognized as a trailblazer who helped shape Greek filmmaking.

The restoration of Eva was carried out by the World Cinema Project of The Film Foundation and the Cineteca di Bologna at the L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory, in collaboration with Alatas Films and Professor Betty-Despina Kaklamanidou of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, with support from the Greek Film Archive. The project was funded by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation and forms part of a broader research initiative on Plyta’s work, including the ongoing program “Plyta’s Unknown Cinema” (2025–2028).

During the Cannes Film Festival, filming and interviews with key figures from international film institutions will also take place for the production of a documentary.

“The selection of Eva in Cannes Classics is the ultimate vindication for Maria Plyta, a major creator who remained in the shadows of historiography for decades,” noted Professor Kaklamanidou. “With this project, we address a long-standing gender bias in film history and firmly place Maria Plyta within the canon of European cinema.”