Nikos Tsiforos
| Nikos Tsiforos Νίκος Τσιφόρος | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
1912 Alexandria, Egypt |
| Died |
6 August 1970 Athens, Greece |
| Occupation | Screenwriter, film director |
| Years active | 1948–1970 |
Nikos Tsiforos (Greek: Νίκος Τσιφόρος; 1912 – 6 August 1970) was a Greek screenwriter and film director. He wrote 64 films between 1948 and 1970. He also directed 17 films between 1948 and 1961.
Biography
He was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1912. Two years later, his family was permanently resettled in Athens. Since his eleven years of age, Nikos Tsiforos began to write with fury. He wrote his first play in 1938 which was played out in a summer theatre in Freattyda. His first try did not succeed but Nikos was not disappointed. From there he went on to get a degree in Law, as well as worked for two years at the Election Council. He later resigned to go into ships and travel. His father was sailing in ships and Nikos wanted to live so he can write.
He continued to change jobs continuously until 1939, wrote films as well as different types of writings. His first big success was in 1944 by the companies of Dimitris Horn and Mairi Aroni which elevated himself into the Akropol Theatre. This was with his theatrical work I pinakothiki ton ilithion which means the Museum Hall of Idiots, implying we take the most idiotic role models, put them in a frame and hang them up to see as examples. From 1948 to 1949 he wrote and directed his first film Teleftea apostoli which means Last Mission. Four years later, he was a reporter and wrote for the Greek newspapers (Φιλελεύθερος / Liberal, Βήμα / Step, Ελεύθερος Κόσμος / Free World) and the magazines Trust, Romance, Postman, Pantheon, while writing over 40 theatrical plays and more than 80 film scripts.
He wrote solemnly by himself, otherwise worked mainly with Polyvios Vassiliadis his writing partner in many successful films (with which they became the most important writing duo in theater, at the time.
Tsiforos died on 6 August 1970.
Writings
- Anthropi ke anthropakia (Άνθρωποι και ανθρωπάκια)People and small People
- Athens Today, Cruises Inside History (Η Αθήνα σήμερα - Κρουαζιέρες μέσα στην ιστορία (I Athina simera - Krouazieres mesa stin istoria)
- Beautiful Thessaloniki (Όμορφη Θεσσαλονίκη = Omorfi Thessaloniki)
- Children from the Piazza (Τα παιδιά της πιάτσας (Ta pedia tis piatsas)
- Diyimata (Διηγήματα)
- Eortastika (Εορταστικά)
- The First Tsiforos (Ο πρώτος Τσιφόρος = O Protos Tsiforos)
- Milon Firikis (Μίλων Φιρίκης)
- Greek cruises (Ελληνική κρουαζιέρα)
- Greek mythology (Ελληνική μυθολογία)
- O Gulliver stin hora ton Gigandon - O Gulliver stin hora ton nanon (Ο Γκιούλιβερ στη χώρα των Γιγάντων - Ο Γκιούλιβερ στη χώρα των νάνων, first part, Gulliver in the Land of the Giants)
- The History of Athens (Η Ιστορία της Αθήνας (I Istoria tis Athinas)
- History of England (Ιστορία της Αγγλίας (Istoria tis Anglias)
- History of France (Ιστορία της Γαλλίας (Istoria tis Galias)
- History of the United States (Ιστορία των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών (Istoria ton Inomenon Polition))
- Hronografimata (Χρονογραφήματα)
- Jim the Bad Poet (Τζιμ κακής ποιότητο (Jim kakis piotitos)
- I konkistradori (Οι κονκισταδόροι)
- My Lucky Star (Το τυχερό μου αστέρι (To tihero mou asteri)
- Ta paliopeda t atithassa (Τα παλιόπαιδα τ' ατίθασα)
- Ourselves and the Franks (Εμείς και οι Φράγκοι)
- Paramithis pisso apo ta kagela (Παραμύθια πίσω από τα κάγκελα)
- People and People (Ο κόσμος κι ο κοσμάκης (O kosmos ki o kosmakis)
- I pinakothiki ton ilithion (Η πινακοθήκη των ηλιθίων)
- Ta remalia iroes (Τα ρεμάλια ήρωες)
- Steve to haroumeno katharma ('Στηβ το χαρούμενο κάθαρμα )
- Secret Companies (Οι μυστικές εταιρίες = I mistikes eteries)
- Vivliki hamoyela (Βιβλικά χαμόγελα)
- I yineka koursaros (Η γυναίκα κουρσάρος)
Selected filmography
| Year | Film | Transliteration and translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | The Last Mission | Τελευταία αποστολή Teleftaia apostoloi |
| 1951 | To paidi mou prepei na zisei | Το παιδί μου πρέπει να ζήσει |
| 1953 | The Tower of Knights | Ο πύργος των ιπποτών O pirgos ton ipoton |
| 1954 | The Little Mouse | Το ποντικάκι To pondikaki |
| 1954 | O anemos tou missous | Ο άνεμος του μίσους |
| 1954 | I oraia ton Athinon | Η ωραία των Αθηνών |
| 1955 | Γλέντι, λεφτά και αγάπη | Glendi, lefta ke agapi |
| 1956 | Gypsy Blood | Τσιγγάνικο αίμα Tsiganiko ema |
| 1957 | The Three Detectives | Τρεις ντεντέκτιβς Tris detectives |
| 1957 | The Lady | Ο γυναικάς O yinekas |
| 1958 | The Money | Ο λεφτάς O leftas |
| 1959 | O thisavros tou makariti | Ο θησαυρός του μακαρίτη |
| 1960 | Treis koukles ki ego | Τρεις κούκλες κι εγώ |
| 1960 | O Klearchos i Marina kai o kontos | Ο Κλέαρχος η Μαρίνα και ο κοντός |
| 1967 | Oh! That Wife of Mine | - |
Bibliography
- Sylvia Mittler, "The Crusades and Frankish Medieval Greece as (Re)Appropriation: Carnivalesque Historiography and Modern Greek Humorist Nikos Tsiforos." In: Postmodern Medievalisms, ed. Richard Utz and Jesse G. Swan (Cambridge: Brewer, 2004), pp. 209–36.
- Sylvia Mittler, "Subversive Storytelling: Popular Historiography, Alternative Cultural Memory, and Modern Greek Humorist Nikos Tsiforos." In: Oral and Written Narratives and Cultural Identity, ed. Francisco Cota Fagundes and Irene Maria F. Blayer (New York: Peter Lang, 2007), pp. 171–88.