The Cinematheque

“A film of our time … It will make you weep and will make you angry. It will tear your guts out … Z is at the same time a political cry of rage and a brilliant suspense thriller.”

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Z deals with fascism and was intended by director Costa-Gavras as a political protest against the Greek government. ​“Greece at that time was a tragedy … a very difficult period,” said Costa-Gavras. ​“The colonels took power just as Greece was becoming a democratic country.” The story is based on the assassination of Grigoris Lambrakis, a popular left-wing member of the Greek parliament. The tenacious judge who solves the crime is based on Christos Sartzetakis, who was jailed during the coup but was later elected president of Greece. A shocking and suspenseful political thriller that continues to resonate. Made with urgency and speed—of storytelling, shooting, editing, performance—this double Oscar winner (Best Foreign Language Film, Best Editing) has unexpected and brilliant neo-Hitchcockian and French New Wave-inflected flourishes and sequences. Yves Montand and Jean-Louis Trintignant star.

In French, Russian, and English with English subtitles

“A technically audacious and emotionally gripping masterpiece.”

The Criterion Collection