Nikos Koundouros ( ; 15 December 1926 – 22 February 2017 ) was a Greek film director . Koundouros was born in Agios Nikolaos , Crete , in 1926 . He studied painting and sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Arts . During the war he was a member of the left-wing resistance movement EAM-ELAS , and because of this was subsequently exiled to the Makronissos prison island . At the age of 28 he decided to follow a career in cinematography . He started his career as a director of the film '' Magiki Polis '' ( 1954 ) , where he combined his neorealism influences with his own artistic viewpoint . He cast Thanasis Veggos , who he had met at Makronissos , as one of the characters in Magiki Polis . After the release of his complex and innovative film '' O Drakos '' , he found acceptance as a prominent artist in Greece and Europe , and acquired important awards in various international and Greek film festivals . His 1963 film '' Young Aphrodites '' won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 13th Berlin International Film Festival . In 1985 he was a member of the jury at the 14th Moscow International Film Festival
14th Moscow International Film Festival
14th Moscow International Film Festival
Nikos Koundouros