Experiencing Interruptions?

The Chaos She Left Behind

Anna feels like her life is slipping through her hands. A ticket to a music school in Paris might be the last chance to pursue her dream, but her self-destructive alcoholic father stands in her way.

  • Nikos Kolioukos
    Director
  • Nikos Kolioukos
    Writer
  • Yiannis Tsortekis
    Key Cast
    Maestro (2020 -) (Netflix)
  • Marina Siotou
    Key Cast
  • Eleni Karagiorgi
    Key Cast
  • Danae Skiadi
    Key Cast
  • Yorgos Zafeiris
    Editor
    Apples (2020)
  • Alexandra Riba
    Director of Photography
  • Pélagie Hadzinikitas
    Original Music Composer
  • Nikos Kolioukos
    Producer
  • Alexandra Riba
    Producer
  • Pélagie Hadzinikitas
    Producer
  • Elena Koutsou
    Set Design
  • Konstantina Mardiki
    Costume Design
  • Pélagie Hadzinikitas
    Sound Design
  • Costas Fylaktidis
    Sound Mixing
  • Tone Studio
    Sound Mixing
  • Dimitris Manousiakis
    Color Correction
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Το Χάος που Άφησε Πίσω της
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    33 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 7, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    Greece
  • Country of Filming:
    Greece
  • Language:
    Modern Greek (1453-)
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - School of Fine Arts, Film Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
  • 77th CANNES FILM FESTIVAL, 2nd Prize, LA CINEF 2024,
    CANNES
    France
    May 22, 2024
    International Premiere
    2nd Prize
  • Hellenic Film Academy, Best Student Film "IRIS" Award 2024
    Athens
    Greece
    Best Student Film
  • (2 Awards) DRAMA INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (GREECE)
    DRAMA
    Greece
    September 5, 2023
    GREEK PREMIERE
    Best Director Award & Best Leading Female Role Award
  • 30th SARAJEVO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
    SARAJEVO
    Bosnia and Herzegovina
    REGIONAL PREMIERE
    Official selection
Distribution Information
  • ARTE TV (FRANCE, GERMANY)
    Distributor
    Country: France
    Rights: Internet, Free TV
    Country: Germany
    Rights: Internet, Free TV
Director Biography - Nikos Kolioukos

Nikos Kolioukos (b. 1996) is a film director based in Athens. He holds a Master’s degree in Film Studies from the Film Department of the School of Fine Arts at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

In 2024, his debut short film, The Chaos She Left Behind, premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it was awarded 2nd Prize in the La Cinef competition.

The same year, ARTE TV, Europe’s premier public service channel dedicated to culture, acquired the rights to distribute the film in France and Germany, as part of a special edition featuring selected films, Court-circuit: Award-Winning Films from Cannes 2024.

Internationally, the film continues its festival journey, with its most recent participation in the Official Competition of the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival.

In Greece, it has received multiple accolades, including the Iris Award for Best Student Film 2024 from the Hellenic Film Academy, as well as Best Director and Best Actress Awards in the National Student Competition of the 46th Drama International Short Film Festival.

In 2023, the Greek Film Centre and in 2024, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival commissioned Nikos Kolioukos to direct their official annual promotional campaigns, integrating the visual identity of his award-winning film.

He is currently developing his next short film, Amnesia — a queer love story set in the working-class Thessaloniki of the 1980s — which is supported by the Greek Film Centre.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I am interested in contrasts and contradictions in life, complexity, and the unexpected power of emotions. In this film, I aimed to ensure that Anna's relationship with her father would be sincere, realistic, and intricate. I wanted to show that light exists within the darkness and that love emerges even in the depths of selfishness.