Mercouri returned to Greece in 1955 . At the Kotopouli-Rex Theatre , Mercouri starred in '' Macbeth '' by William Shakespeare and '' L'Alouette '' by Jean Anouilh . Mercouri 's first movie was the Greek language film '' Stella '' ( 1955 ) , directed by future '' Zorba the Greek '' director Michael Cacoyannis . The film received special praise at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival , where she met American film director Jules Dassin , with whom she would share not only her career but also her life . Their first professional pairing was 1957 's '' He Who Must Die '' . Other films by Dassin and featuring Mercouri followed , such as '' The Law '' ( 1959 )
1956 Cannes Film Festival
1956 Cannes Film Festival
Melina Mercouri