Woman in Autumn

While 1948 Greece is in a Civil War (the first battle of the Cold War) between Greek-Communists backed by the Soviets, and Greek Royalists supported by the Americans, a young schoolteacher arrives on the island of Rhodes, recruited by the Greek Palace to educate orphans rescued from war-ravaged areas. Soon she is besieged by two handsome suitors from opposite sides of the conflict: a handsome middle-aged humanitarian American widower, who is her new boss, and a charming young Greek naval officer with latent Communist leanings who insists the children are being indoctrinated used as a propaganda tool by the royalist government. Torn between humanity and the international power politics, she attempts to find out "what has really happened to the families involved" in order to protect the children from illegal adoption to the USA. The narrative explores themes of love, loyalty, and belonging, centering on "WHO tells your story?" "Woman in Autumn" is based on the memoirs of Nicholas Franghias' Aunt Ellie Frangias.