Marika (Maria) Beikou was born at Istiaia of the Greek island Evia. Originally studied to be a doctor, but due to Nazi occupation she interrupted her studies in order to help the resistance. She became member of legendary EPON, later member of the Greek Peoples Army (ELAS) and eventually member of the Communist Party of Greece. During the civil war, she was member of Democratic Army of Greece(DSE). After the defeat of DSE (1949), she left for the USSR in order to save her life. In the year 1952 started working in a radio station in Moscow, while she was studying at Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography. There she met Andrey Tarkovsky and along with Aleksandr Gordon they co-directed the short film Murderers (1956), from the titular roman of Ernest Hemingway. Died in Athens, Greece in the year 2011.

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Marika Beiku

Director