At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a discussion about women's emancipation, as they began to demand their equality within a male-dominated society. Women sought a different role from the one they had until then in social organization, as well as within the family institution, since very few managed to break free from social constraints and engaged in public life, mainly in artistic pursuits and especially in theater, despite the social stigma they faced as actresses.

This is the era when cinema emerged in the same sphere, and naturally, women had their place, even better than men’s, in front of the camera; that was all. The short distance to behind the camera turned into a long and difficult road. During the Interwar period, the star of Iris Skaravaiou shone brightly as a film critic, and the names of some women appeared in film scripts. It would take the Second World War for the first woman director to appear.

Meanwhile, the leading actresses of films created their own rich history, as women transitioned from the theater stage to the cinema screen. Slowly again, all film professions began to be staffed by female artists, both as performers and workers, within the framework of the domestic film industry. The 1970s was the decade when the changes brought by the New Greek Cinema established women in these roles. The path toward completing this entire process has now accelerated, and after the turn of the century, women have secured an equal position in our cinema as well, always following with delay the parallel progression of women in the West.

This study explores and highlights the main elements of this "difficult" but fascinating journey.