Directed by Costa-Gavras
127 minutes
In French with English subtitles

Any similarity to real persons and events is not coincidental. IT IS INTENTIONAL. 

The line above, printed on the screen at the beginning of Z, in many ways sums up the heart of the film: defiant, outraged, daring the viewer to deny the truth of what is about to be shown.

A pulse-pounding thriller, Greek director Costa-Gavras’s Z was renowned as one of the hardest-hitting cinematic sensations of the late sixties, and remains among the most vital films from that era of filmmaking. The story is loosely based on the real-life assassination of a Greek left-wing activist in 1963 who was pushing back against America's manipulation of Greek politics, which led to a military dictatorship for 10 years. Z stars Yves Montand as a popular politician/doctor whose murder amid a demonstration is covered up by the military and government officials. The film also stars Jean-Louis Trintignant (The Conformist, Trois Couleurs: Rouge) as the magistrate who’s determined not to let them get away with their scheme. Featuring kinetic, rhythmic editing, expressive cinema vérité photography, and Mikis Theodorakis’s unforgettable music score -  Z combines all these elements to create an emotionally gripping masterpiece with a razor-sharp edge. 

When it was released in 1969, this  French-Algerian production became an instant international sensation. At Cannes, Jean-Louis Trintignant won the award for best actor and Costa-Gavras won the Jury Prize, The New York Film Critics named Z the Best Film of that year, and Costa-Gavras Best Director. When the preview of Z was shown at the Oscars, it received a standing ovation....and it nabbed the Academy Award for best foreign film. It was an explosive cinematic Molotov cocktail that ignited everyone who saw it and it still packs a wallop today. 

The film owes its success in no small part to the great cinematographer Raoul Coutard, most famous for his 60s collaborations with Jean-Luc Godard.... along with its legendary fiery musical score. A knock-out thriller, this film would go on to influence an entire generation of young filmmakers who used cinema as a medium for truth-telling. 50 years after it was made, this cinematic roller-coaster of a film is just as relevant today as when it was made.

VENTILATOR CINEMA X CINEMA DÉRIVE
Overtoom 301 2nd floor - ventilator, space
Doors open at: 19:30
Film starts at:  20:00
3 euros (cash preferred)