Maláka

The unequal, half-Greek brothers Giorgos and Alex embark on a journey to find the hidden gold of their estranged father. But does the gold truly exist? Are the brothers really Greek? These questions remain open to debate.

  • Nikolaos Bakousis
    Director
  • Nikolaos Bakousis
    Writer
  • Nikolaos Bakousis
    Producer
  • Rinaldo Steller
    Key Cast
    "Giorgos"
  • Paolo Francesco Möller
    Key Cast
    "Alex"
  • Jonas Demmeler
    Director of Photography
  • Nikolaos Bakousis
    Editor
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    drama, comedy
  • Runtime:
    22 minutes 50 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 6, 2025
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany
  • Country of Filming:
    Germany
  • Language:
    German
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2,35:1
  • Film Color:
    Black & White
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Hochschule Ansbach
  • Filmschau Baden-Württemberg
    Stuttgart
    Germany
    December 5, 2025
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Nikolaos Bakousis

Nikolaos Bakousis was born in Karlsruhe in 2002 with a German/Greek background. After graduating, he has been attending Ansbach University since 2021, majoring in multimedia and communication with a focus on film.

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Director Statement

“Maláka” is, for me, an attempt to make inner conflict visible. The film emerges from my engagement with my Greek heritage. It explores how far we can escape our familial conditioning and how deeply it remains embedded in our actions.

Giorgos and Alex embody opposing lines of thought. They stand for contradictory desires, insecurities, and projections that I aim to make visible in this film. Their shared search for gold is deliberately absurd. This absurdity is central to the film, yet it is not meant to be ironic. Rather, it is important to me to portray it as seriously and realistically as possible—exactly as the characters themselves perceive their reality.