Private Project

O2

  • Nikolaos kihem Kotsampougioukis
    Director
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    21 minutes 39 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 19, 2025
  • Country of Origin:
    Greece
  • Country of Filming:
    Greece
  • Film Color:
    Black & White
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Nikolaos kihem Kotsampougioukis

Nikolaos Kihem Kotsampougioukis is a director, photographer, and writer based in Athens, Greece, with over a decade of experience in visual arts, filmmaking, and creative writing. His work spans across short films, visual art projects, and literature, often blending narrative storytelling with compelling imagery. Nikolaos has showcased his work internationally, participating in prominent film festivals and exhibitions, and has received multiple awards for his contributions to the arts. His passion for creativity and storytelling extends into poetry, screenwriting, and fairy tales, with a deep involvement in both the film and literary communities.
Nikolaos's formal education includes Directorial Studies from the Hellenic Cinema and Television School Stavrakos and a degree in Computer Information Science from the American College of Greece. His career as a freelance director and photographer has seen him produce short films, alongside an impressive body of photographic work displayed in both national and international competitions. Notably, he had a solo exhibition in San Francisco, California, showcasing his diverse artistic range.
His films have been recognized, with SiempreViva earning accolades such as Finalist at the Micro-μ Film Festival and Winner at AIMAFF 2023. His film half was nominated at the Video Hackers Film Festival and selected for the 11th Athens International Digital Film Festival in 2022. Upcoming works include O2, slated for release in 2025. In addition to his creative work, Nikolaos actively contributes to the film community through jury participation and mentorship, serving on the jury for the Kastellorizo International Documentary Festival in 2024 and as a tutor for the Olympia Film Festival's Film Education Program in 2023.
Nikolaos's written works include Briefly, awarded the prestigious Jean Moreas Poet Laureate Award in 2022, and The Road and its Turns, published in 2018. His literary contributions span poetry, screenplays, and fairy tales, further enriching his artistic versatility.
With a dedication to artistic growth, Nikolaos has also participated in seminars in drawing at the Ornerakis School and creative writing at the Cacoyannis Foundation. His diverse work continues to bridge the gap between visual arts, filmmaking, and literature, leaving a significant mark on the international artistic landscape.

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Director Statement

The entire concept for the creation of the film originated with the notion of regret through a personal loss. A regret that the character of the film, Tassos, gradually comes to experience. As a ruthless, genuine offspring of the Athenian underworld, devoid of any trace of guilt, he takes on the task of making a person disappear. However, various small, incidental yet significant events force him to become as helpless and powerless as his victim. The choice of black-and-white cinematography strengthens, with film noir tones, the entire psychological state of the protagonist and the preparation for the drama. From the very first scene, the presence of a nail conspicuously standing on the black asphalt of a desolate, secluded alley in Athens foreshadows the impending wrongdoings. Slowly paced single shots in confined spaces, gradual temporal revelations, a camera focusing on the dimly lit Tassos, the suffocating summer heat, and the dark atmosphere of the nighttime Athens leave no room for doubt regarding the predetermined fate. However, it is ultimately through the unexpected appearance of a summer thunderstorm that the possibility of choice is granted—the possibility of regret, even after an unforeseen death.