A documentary on Antigone Metaxa, the much-loved Aunt Lena of children in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. A legendary figure and the most important educator in Greece who gave the country and Greek children the “Children’s Theater”, the first permanent theater organization for children in Athens, writing and staging performances for children from 1933 to 1942. From 1939 to 1966 she also presented 4,500 radio shows for children broadcast by the National Broadcasting Corporation, the most popular of which were “Aunt Lena to little children” and “Good morning Children”. She also wrote 53 books (including the well-known children’s encyclopedia and the mythology encyclopedia) and was the first to present a series of vinyl records with fairytales and songs as well as the first television programs for children. In 1965 received a lifetime achievement award from the Academy of Athens.
A lost key and a locked cabinet in Antigone’s family home by the sea, which was broken into by her granddaughter Maria Iliou during a visit to the house in 2015 were what triggered this film. The small cabinet revealed a treasure trove of lost photographs from her radio shows as well as pictures taken at various stages in her life. These images now form part of the documentary. Unknown material on her life and recordings from the decade of the 50s from her personal archive have also been used for the first time in the documentary as well as home movies filmed by her daughter Lena Krontera.
A lost key and a locked cabinet in Antigone’s family home by the sea, which was broken into by her granddaughter Maria Iliou during a visit to the house in 2015 were what triggered this film. The small cabinet revealed a treasure trove of lost photographs from her radio shows as well as pictures taken at various stages in her life. These images now form part of the documentary. Unknown material on her life and recordings from the decade of the 50s from her personal archive have also been used for the first time in the documentary as well as home movies filmed by her daughter Lena Krontera.
A documentary by the team and the director of documentaries that were presented with great success at the Benaki Museum during the last decade: The Journey, the Greek-American Dream in 2007, Smyrna, the Destruction of a Cosmopolitan City, 1922 and From Both Sides of the Aegean, Expulsion and Exchange of Populations, Greece-Turkey 1922-1924 in 2012.
At the same time as the screenings of the documentary DEAR AUNT LENA in the amphitheater of the Benaki Museum at 1 Koumbari Street, an homonymous exhibition will also be held in the same building in the Spyridon and Euridice Costopoulos Room, with the photographs taken during the course of the radio shows and the life of Antigone Metaxa, which were found in the family home by the sea as well as photographs from the Benaki Museum Archive and an exhibit of her books.
THE TEAM
Scriptwriter-Director: MARIA ILIOU
Historical Consultant: ALEXANDER KITROEFF
Cinematography: PETER NELSON
Photo movement: BEN POLLARD, ASPA PAPAZACHARIA
Photography of images of the era: LEONIDAS KOURGIANTAKIS
With young ALEXIS AND ELINA POLLARD MAGDALENE PRINTZIOU, MARKOS & PHILIPPOS TORRES
Sound : JOHN ZECCA
SCREENING DAYS & HOURS:
Wednesday
09:30-11:00 & 15:00-16:30
Thursday
09:30-11:00
15:00-16:30
17:00-18:30
Friday
09:30-11:00
11:30-13:00
13:30-15:00
15:30-17:00
Saturday
9:30-11:00
11:30-13:00
13:30-15:00
15:30-17:00
17:30-19:00
19:30-21:00,
21:30-23:00
Sunday
09:30-11:00
11:30-13:00
13:30-15:00
