Nikos Koundouros ( el, Νίκος Κούνδουρος; 15 December 1926 – 22 February 2017) was a Greek

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

Biography

Koundouros was born in

Agios Nikolaos, Crete Agios Nikolaos, Hagios Nikolaos or Aghios Nikolaos ( el, Άγιος Νικόλαος ) is a coastal town on the Greek island of Crete, lying east of the island's capital Heraklion, north of the town of Ierapetra and west of the town of Sitia. In t ...

, in 1926. He studied

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...

and

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

at the

Athens School of Fine Arts The Athens School of Fine Arts (ASFA; el, Ανωτάτη Σχολή Καλών Τεχνών, ΑΣΚΤ, literally: Highest School of Fine Arts), is Greece's premier Art school whose main objective is to develop the artistic talents of its students. ...

. During the war he was a member of the left-wing resistance movement

EAM-ELAS The Greek People's Liberation Army ( el, Ελληνικός Λαϊκός Απελευθερωτικός Στρατός (ΕΛΑΣ), ''Ellinikós Laïkós Apeleftherotikós Stratós'' (ELAS) was the military arm of the left-wing National Liberat ...

, and because of this was subsequently exiled to the

Makronissos Makronisos ( el, Μακρόνησος, lit. ''Long Island''), or Makronisi, is an island in the Aegean sea, in Greece, notorious as the site of a political prison from the 1920s to the 1970s. It is located close to the coast of Attica, facing the ...

prison island. At the age of 28 he decided to follow a career in

cinematography Cinematography (from ancient Greek κίνημα, ''kìnema'' "movement" and γράφειν, ''gràphein'' "to write") is the art of motion picture (and more recently, electronic video camera) photography. Cinematographers use a lens to focu ...

. He started his career as a

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...

of the film '' Magiki Polis'' (1954), where he combined his neorealism influences with his own artistic viewpoint. He cast

Thanasis Veggos Thanasis Veggos (alternatively spelt Thanassis and/or Vengos; Greek: Θανάσης Βέγγος; pronounced: ''Thanássis Véngos''; 29 May 19273 May 2011) was a Greek actor and director born in Neo Faliro, Piraeus. He performed in around 130 film ...

, who he had met at Makronissos, as one of the characters in Magiki Polis.Great Greek Actor Thanasis Veggos Passes
greekreporter.com, 3 May 2011. After the release of his complex and innovative film ''

O Drakos ''O Drákos'' ( el, Ο Δράκος; English: ''The Ogre of Athens'' or ''The fiend of Athens''), or simply The Dragon, is a 1956 Greek existential and satirical drama crime film, directed by Nikos Koundouros. It tells the story of Thomas, a mou ...

'', he found acceptance as a prominent artist in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, and acquired important awards in various international and Greek film festivals. His 1963 film ''

Young Aphrodites ''Young Aphrodites'' ( el, Μικρές Αφροδίτες, translit. Mikres Afrodites) is a drama film of 1963 directed by Nikos Koundouros based on a script of Vassilis Vassilikos. Plot In 200 BC, a nomadic group of shepherds, in search o ...

'' won the

Silver Bear for Best Director The Silver Bear for Best Director (german: Silberner Bär/Bester Regie) is an award presented annually at the Berlin International Film Festival since 1956. It is given for the best achievement in directing and is chosen by the International Jury ...

at the

13th Berlin International Film Festival The 13th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 21 June to 2 July 1963. The Golden Bear was awarded ''ex aequo'' to the Italian film ''Il diavolo'' directed by Gian Luigi Polidoro and Japanese film '' Bushidô zankoku monogatari ...

. In 1985 he was a member of the jury at the

14th Moscow International Film Festival The 14th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 28 June to 12 July 1985. The Golden Prizes were awarded to the Soviet film ''Come and See'' directed by Elem Klimov, the American film '' A Soldier's Story'' directed by Norman Jewison and ...

Filmography

Cinema

*'' Magiki Polis'', English: ''Enchanted City'' (1954) *''

'', English: ''Draco'' (1956) *'' Oi Paranomoi'', English: ''The outlaws'' (1958) *''

To Potami The River ( el, Το Ποτάμι, To Potami, ) was a centrist and social-liberal political party in Greece. The party was founded in February 2014 by Stavros Theodorakis. The party did not run in the 2019 elections and had no seats in the Hel ...

'', English: ''The river'' (1960) *'' Mikres Aphrodites'': English: ''Young Aphrodites'', English Title: ''Young Aphrodites'' (1963) *''

To Prosopo tis Medousas ''Vortex, The Face of Medusa'' ( el, Το πρόσωπο της Μέδουσας, translit. To prosopo tis Medousas and also known as ''Vortex'') is a 1967 Greek-British drama film directed by Nikos Koundouros. It was entered into the 17t ...

'', English: ''The face of Medusa'', English Title: ''Vortex'' (1967) *'' To tragoudi tis fotias'', English: ''The song of fire'' (1975) *''

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

'' (1978)Based on the book ''

Number 31328 ''Number 31328'' ( el, Το Νούμερο 31328) is an autobiographical novel by Elias Venezis. It tells of his experiences as a captive of the Turkish Army on a death march into the Anatolian interior. Background During the Greek genocide, ...

'' by

Elias Venezis Elias Venezis ( el, Ηλίας Βενέζης) (March 4, 1904 - August 3, 1973) is the pseudonym of Elias Mellos (), a major Greek novelist. He was born in 1904 in Ayvalık (Kydonies) in Asia Minor and died in Athens in 1973. He wrote many boo ...

. *''

Bordello A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub par ...

'', English: ''Brothel'' (1984) *'' Byron, balanta gia enan daimonismeno'', English: ''Byron, Ballad for a possessed'' (1992) *'' Oi fotografoi'', English: ''The photographers'' (1998) *'' To ploio'', English: ''The Ship'' (2011)by Showtime Productions ( www.showtimeproductions.gr)

TV documentaries

*''Ifigeneia en Tavrois'' (1991) *''Antigoni'' (1994) *''Ellinisti Kypros'' *''Cinemithologia'' (2010) by Showtime Productions

References

External links

* 1926 births 2017 deaths Greek film directors Greek documentary filmmakers Silver Bear for Best Director recipients People from Agios Nikolaos, Crete Filmmakers from Crete Burials at the First Cemetery of Athens National Liberation Front (Greece) members {{Greece-film-director-stub