The Murderess

An adaptation of one of the greatest greek novellas ('The Murderess' by Alexandros Papadiamantis). Fragkogiannou (Maria Alkaiou), a hard-done by, deranged woman after a life full of hardship, recalls the past by her newborn girl grandchild’s crib. Her mother was a wicked woman and one of her sons was a criminal. Lost in a haze, she strangles the baby as she is concvinced that girls can cause their family only trouble. Later, she lets a little girl drown in a well, while she drowns three other little girls, one of whom is a newborn baby. This is her way of sparing children and parents of the inevitable suffering in life.

Directed by Costas Ferris, The Murderess leans on a strong ensemble — Maria Alkaiou, Natalia Alkaiou, Kostas Darlasis — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1974.