Nikos Nikolaidis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nikos Nikolaidis
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| Νίκος Νικολαΐδης | |
Nikos Nikolaidis being interviewed in 2003
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| Born |
Nikos Georgiou Nikolaidis
25 October 1939 |
| Died | 5 September 2007 (aged 67) Athens, Greece
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| Nationality | Greek |
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| Years active | 1960–2007 |
| Known for | Filmmaking |
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Notable work
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| Spouse(s) | Marie-Louise Bartholomew (married 1970–2007; his death) |
| Children | Two |
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Nikos Georgiou Nikolaidis (Greek: Νίκος Γεωργίου Νικολαΐδης) was a famous Greek film director, writer, and producer. He was born on October 25, 1939, and passed away on September 5, 2007. He was known for making unique and experimental films.
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Nikos Nikolaidis' Early Life and Career
Nikos Nikolaidis was born and lived his whole life in Athens, Greece. He was not only a director but also wrote the scripts and produced his own movies. Sometimes, he even wrote screenplays for other directors.
For many years, he worked in advertising. He directed over 200 television commercials! He learned about filmmaking at the Hellenic Cinema and Television School Stavrakos. He also studied scenic design at the Vakalo College of Art and Design in Athens.
In 1960, Nikos started working as an assistant director. Two years later, in 1962, he directed his first short film called Lacrimae Rerum.
First Feature Film Success
His first full-length movie was Euridice BA 2037. It was shown for the first time in September 1975 at the Thessaloniki Festival of Greek Cinema. This film won several important awards, including Best Director.
Even though some viewers didn't love it, critics praised its fresh take on the old Greek story of Orpheus and Eurydice. Nikolaidis himself thought Euridice BA 2037 was his best film.
Exploring Social Themes in Films
For his next movie, The Wretches Are Still Singing (1979), Nikolaidis looked at how people's values change over time. The film showed five friends meeting again after a long time and sharing their tough lives.
This movie became a symbol for people who grew up in the 1950s. It showed his ideas about how people can feel alone in the modern world. The film had a dream-like, surreal style. It also started to show elements of film noir, a style of dark and moody movies, which became a key part of his unique filmmaking.
Becoming Internationally Known
Nikos Nikolaidis is perhaps best known for his 1990 film, Singapore Sling. Before this movie, he wasn't very well known outside Greece, even though he had been directing films since the 1960s.
Singapore Sling quickly became a cult film, meaning it gained a strong following among certain groups of fans. This film brought him international fame.
Other feature films he directed include Sweet Bunch (1983), Morning Patrol (1987), See You in Hell, My Darling (1999), and The Loser Takes It All (2002).
Beyond Filmmaking: Writing and Music
Besides making films, Nikos Nikolaidis was also a writer. He published a collection of short stories and wrote three novels. One of his novels, The Angry Balkan (1977), was reprinted many times in Greece.
He also directed plays for the theater and worked at a recording studio. In 2005, he announced that he planned to stop making movies to focus on music instead.
Nikos Nikolaidis' Unique Film Style
Nikos Nikolaidis' films often caused different reactions from viewers and critics. His filmmaking style and the topics he chose were very different from typical mainstream movies. Because of this, his films didn't always get a lot of attention. However, some of them, especially his lesser-known ones, became cult favorites both in and outside Greece.
The characters in his movies were often people facing tough or strange situations. They seemed to be playing with their own destiny. Common themes in his films included the 1950s, dark and mysterious stories, friendship and love, and fighting against past problems.
Many of his films were shot in black and white. He also liked to group his films into trilogies (a series of three films). For example, his "Years of Cholera" trilogy included The Wretches Are Still Singing (1979), Sweet Bunch (1983), and The Loser Takes It All (2002).
Personal Life and Passing
From 1970 until his death, Nikos Nikolaidis lived with Marie-Louise Bartholomew. They had two children together. Marie-Louise was also involved in producing all eight of his feature films and his many advertisements.
Nikos Nikolaidis passed away on September 5, 2007, at the age of 67, in Athens, Greece.
Remembering a Visionary Director
After his death, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival held a special event in November 2007 to honor his work. The Greek Film Archive also paid tribute to him in 2011 by showing all eight of his feature films.
Nikos Nikolaidis holds a special record: he is the only Greek filmmaker to win the Best Director Award at the Thessaloniki Festival of Greek Cinema or the Thessaloniki International Film Festival's Greek State Film Awards five times!
Nikos Nikolaidis' Lasting Influence
Nikos Nikolaidis' work has greatly influenced younger Greek filmmakers. Many were inspired by his unique film style and the interesting images he created, which often had deep meanings and symbols.
A main part of Nikolaidis' directing style was that the look and feel of his films were more important than the exact story. In Greece, he was seen as an innovator who found new ways to use film. Outside of Greece, he was known as an unusual and unique director. His influence even reached filmmakers in other countries.
Filmography
- Lacrimae Rerum (Latin: Tears of Things) (1962, Short Film)
- Anev Oron (Άνευ Όρων – Unconditionally) (1968, Short Film)
- Euridice BA 2037 (Ευριδίκη ΒΑ 2037) (1975, Feature Film)
- Ta Kourelia Tragoudane Akoma... (Τα Κουρέλια Τραγουδάνε Ακόμα... – The Wretches Are Still Singing) (1979, Feature Film)
- Glykia Symmoria (Γλυκιά Συμμορία – Sweet Bunch) (1983, Feature Film)
- Proini Peripolos (Πρωϊνή Περίπολος – Morning Patrol) (1987, Feature Film)
- Singapore Sling: O Anthropos pou Agapise ena Ptoma (Singapore Sling: Ο Άνθρωπος που Αγάπησε ένα Πτώμα – Singapore Sling) (1990, Feature Film)
- To koritsi me tis valitses (Το κορίτσι με τις βαλίτσες – Girl with Suitcases) (1994, Television Film)
- Tha se Do stin Kolasi Agapi mou (Θα σε Δω στην Κόλαση Αγάπη μου – See You in Hell, My Darling) (1999, Feature Film)
- O chamenos ta pairnei ola (Ο χαμένος τα παίρνει όλα – The Loser Takes It All) (2002, Feature Film)
- The Zero Years (2005, Feature Film)
Awards
- Best Director Award, Greek National Ministry of Culture Award, Athens Film Critics Association Best Picture Award, Thessaloniki Festival of Greek Cinema, September 1975 (Euridice BA 2037)
- Best Director Award, Athens Film Critics Association Best Picture Award, Thessaloniki Festival of Greek Cinema, September 1979 (The Wretches Are Still Singing)
- Athens Film Critics Association Best Picture Award, Thessaloniki Festival of Greek Cinema, October 1983 (Sweet Bunch)
- Best Director Award, Greek National Ministry of Culture Award, Thessaloniki Festival of Greek Cinema, October 1987 (Morning Patrol)
- Best Director Award, Best Quality Film Award, Thessaloniki Festival of Greek Cinema, October 1990 (Singapore Sling)
- Best Director Award, Thessaloniki International Film Festival's Greek State Film Awards, November 2002 (The Loser Takes It All)
