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Nikos Tzimas

Nikos Tzimas has directed six feature length and two short films to date, three of them with historical content. All have enjoyed wide popular appeal and commercial success. He has participated in International Film Festivals, such as Cannes, Moscow, Thessaloniki etc., and has won 6 Best Film awards. One of his films was nominated for the Oscar of the Best Foreign Language Film. As a producer he has 55 films and 8 television series to his credit via his company Athens Films Production.

Filmography

The Flight of the Swan (2010)

The Years of the Tempest (1983)

The Man with the Carnation (1980)

Thunderjohn (1970)

The Lover's Tomb (1967)

The Youth Wants to Live (1964)

The Girl and the Radio (1963)

To the Heroines (1961)

The Flight of the Swan (2010)

Starring

James D'Arcy Alicia Witt Colm Meaney Linda Gray Tom Frederic Georgina Ryalance
and Larry Hagman

Return to filmography

The Years of the Tempest (1983)

Return to filmography

The Man with the Carnation (1980)

Best Film Thessaloniki International Film Festival (1980)

Grand Jury Award Moscow International Film Festival (1981)
FIPRESI Award Moscow International Film Festival (1981)

Nominee for Best Foreign Language Film at the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards (1981)

Numerous honorary greek awards

Reviews

New York Times
When the right-wing took control of Greece following the civil war, many injustices were carried out upon the populace which were only later brought to light and, sadly, most of these injustices were at the behest of the United States government. Writer/director Nikos Tzimas brilliantly chronicles one such incident in this powerful film concerning the career, arrest, and subsequent execution of popular left-wing resistance leader Nikos Beloyiannis (Phoebus Gikopoulos). Beloyiannis gained a large following for his campaign against the oppression of the people as well as his opposition to the parceling off of Greek land to foreign interests (mainly American). In response to his activities, the ruling party in charge of Greece, with the full support of its United States backers, accused Beloyiannis of treason, took him into custody for a trial with a predetermined outcome, and summarily put him to death for allegedly fomenting insurrection among a primarily illiterate populace who -- at the time -- would have been largely unaware of the government's pernicious activities without Beloyiannis' presence. A first-rate and sadly neglected depiction of a forgotten chapter of imperialist history, O Anthropos Me to Garifallo is a moving and important piece of filmmaking with a terrific cast of Greek film veterans including Alekos Alexandrakis, Petros Fyssoun, Anestis Vlachos, Stefanos Stratigos, and Manos Katrakis.
Robert Firsching, Rovi

TA NEA
With profound respect to the historical truth, Nikos Tzimas directed a genuinely popular movie - in the best way possible… I watched the movie at Kallithea. The theatre was full of people of all ages drying their tears to applaud. Apparently, the director has achieved his goal. And that is indeed an achievement when dealing with such an ambiguous theme.

VRADINI
[…] Underlying simultaneously the undeniable potential of the director Tzimas that makes him using a direct cinemtagraphic language that touches the audience… Many great actors… The movie’s technique was impeccable while Theodorakis’ contribution was important.

AVGI
Nikos Tzimas’ movie serves in the best way possible the theme, which is the trial and execution of Nikos Mpeloyannis. The screenplay, faithful in facts, reproduces the gloomy aftermath of the Civil War… the apparent intervention of the USA in Greece’s internal affairs and displays them with subtlety and clarity, in brief intense scenes in dynamic order. Phoebus Gikopoulos proved to be ideal in portraying Beloyannis.

VEMA
[…] “The Man with the Carnation”, Nikos Tzimas manages to make clear to his audience the scrupulous, historical fidelity upon which he based his movie and the warmth and emotion, with which he treated his theme.

ACROPOLIS
It is the third feature length movie of Nikos Tzimas… and the most complete and well-structured one between his films to date. The great luck of Nikos Tzimas is that upon deciding to direct such a difficult theme, he found a man irrelevant to the cinema, Phoebus Gikopoulos, who portrays Beloyannis with amenity and honesty and thus, predispose the audience in favor of him.

RIZOSPASTIS
Nikos Beloyannis always lived among us. Since the day before yesterday, he literally captured the hearts of those fighting in Greek Resistance. He also conquered the risen generation that took part in the Athens Polytechnic uprising and the cause is his honest, courageous, sincere -and, thus, splendid- movie “The Man with the Carnation”.

MESIMVRINI
Nikos Tzimas does not hide his ideology behind symbolisms and hints, and this is because he has clear views. The actors are all famous and good. Except from the leading actor Phoebus Gikopoulos, who -although unknown- is the best.

AVRIANI
This movie does not need a good review, it is justified by the applauds covering its final scene. Tzimas’ movie shook us to the bone.

APOGEVMATINI
The audience will enjoy a dense and fast direction, the passionate story with all the heroes -in leading and supportive roles… Between the actors -they comprise the elite of the Greek cinema- I would like to distinguish Manos Katrakis…

ELEFTHEROTIPIA
Tzimas followed faithfully the historical facts displaying the events with plainness and modesty, the tragic story of his protagonist that falls prey to the American intrigue.

ELEFTHEROS KOSMOS
Nikos Tzimas was known to be a skilled director already since the time of “Astrapoyannos”. In this movie, he seeks an impressive rise, since he proves himself an astonishing master of the pure cinematographic language. Regarding its technique, the movie is impeccable. It is very interesting, has a great rhythm and an enthusiastic atmosphere.

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