Nicolas Bikialo ( Niko Bikialo) is a French film director and composer born on 21 May 1973 in Thiais. He is of Lithuanian origin by his father and French by his mother. His father is a musician by profession. He followed in his footsteps. He entered the conservatory at the age of 7. He started with the piano and then took up the drums at the age of 17. He then joined alternative rock bands. He met Olivier Mégaton in 1995. From then on, he worked on short films and commercials, then Niko Bikialo worked on his film EXIT in 1998 (produced by Luc Besson). From then on he composed music for films (such as "Ceci est mon corps"), for TV, documentaries, series etc... In composing the music for the MASQUES exhibition, Niko wanted to pay tribute to GRILLON as an artist and a woman. He was inspired by all his passions, the very essence of his being (cinema, Asia, opera, theatre, his plays, etc.). His music is a sensory experience that he has tried to condense into several acts, like a play. The spectator experiences a journey within the mask box.

Broken Pictures is an independent production company that specializes in emotional storytelling and existential filmmaking. Founders Niko Bikialo and Gregory de Maria share a uniquely European sensibility derived from complimentary disciplines: writing and music composition constitute Bikialo’s realm, while de Maria focuses on conceptualization, art direction and cinematography. The company’s ‘modus operandi’ is simple: to take on work that Bikialo and de Maria love and find aesthetically interesting. Their passion is the art of filmmaking. While the team may be small, their ideas are grand – and rooted in the avant-garde. Projects are derived from a range of sources, including film, photography, painting, philosophy, poetry, and music. Broken Pictures’ palette is diverse; its methodology, versatile. Adaptation comes easily to Bikialo and de Maria, as does the development of original concepts and stories. From music videos and short films to features, documentaries and commercials, the pictures they make are always beautifully broken.