I Never Knew My Mother

After his mother's death, thirteen-year-old Lakis is forced to move to Athens to live with his cousin Marina, who lives with a gambler named Giorgos. Instead of offering him shelter and food, they send him to work at Benos' gas station, where he sleeps at night. Soon, Lakis befriends his boss's daughter, Kiki, who is the same age as him, but fails to win the sympathy of her brother, Takis. One day, Takis steals a large sum of money from his father's office and suspicion falls on Lakis. Benos confiscates all his money and fires him. Alone and desolate, since Marina has left Athens, he sells the suitcase containing all his belongings and begins to wander here and there.

Directed by Yiorgos Drossis, I Never Knew My Mother leans on a strong ensemble — Giannis Kalatzopoulos, Mirka Kalatzopoulou, Nikos Xanthopoulos — 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 1962.