Hostage

Omiros (Hostage) is a 2005 Greek-Turkish co-production drama and crime film written and directed by Konstantinos Giannaris. The story was inspired by a real bus hijacking that took place in Northern Greece in 1999. A man of Albanian origin boards an intercity passenger bus and takes everyone hostage, armed with an automatic weapon and a grenade. In exchange for releasing the passengers, he demands 500,000 euros and safe passage across the border into Albania.

Police soon surround the bus and a tense negotiation begins. Although the hijacker initially projects a harsh and determined front, he gradually softens and frees all of the hostages except seven. His mother arrives at the scene and begs her son to let the remaining captives go and surrender himself. Through this life-and-death standoff, the film reflects on Greek-Albanian relations and on human nature under pressure.

The cast includes Giannis Stankoglou, Theodora Tzimou, Laertis Vasiliou and Minas Chatzisavvas. The score is by Nikos Patrelakis, with Highway Productions and the Greek Film Centre among the production companies. Shot in Greek, the film runs about 105 minutes.