Born in Mytilene (Lesbos Island) in 1941 and passed away in Athens in 2016. He studied film in Athens while working as an assistant director in Greek and international productions. From 1960 to 1973, he lived in Paris, where he studied at the Sorbonne. In 1973, he returned to Greece and directed his first film, The Colors of Iris, an instant classic of New Greek Cinema. He was one of the most original and prolific film makers of the New Wave of Greek Cinema. Developing his personal style, blending various genres—from comedy to crime films and from musicals to road movies—he directed 13 more films. His work focused on the lives of people in contemporary Greece, their interpersonal relationships, cinema itself, and art in general. His cinematic vision was characterized by humor and tenderness, with strong doses of irony and sarcasm about the human condition.