Costa-Gavras facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Costa-Gavras
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| Κώστας Γαβράς | |
Costa-Gavras in 2017
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| Born |
Konstantinos Gavras (Κωνσταντίνος Γαβράς)
12 February 1933 Loutra Iraias, Greece
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| Alma mater | Institute for Advanced Cinematographic Studies |
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) | Michèle Ray |
| Children |
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| Awards | Full list |
Konstantinos "Kostas" Gavras (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος "Κώστας" Γαβράς; born 12 February 1933), known as Costa-Gavras, is a famous Greek-French filmmaker. He directs, writes, and produces movies. He lives and works in France.
Costa-Gavras is well-known for his "political films." These movies often explore important social and political issues. Two of his most famous films are Z (1969) and Missing (1982). Z won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. For Missing, he won the Palme d'Or, a top award at the Cannes Film Festival. He also won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Missing. Most of his films are in French, but he has also made six movies in English.
Contents
His Early Life
Costa-Gavras was born in a place called Loutra Iraias in Greece. His family lived in a village during World War II. After the war, they moved to Athens.
His father was part of a group that fought against the occupation during the war. Because of his father's political beliefs, Costa-Gavras could not go to university in Greece. He also couldn't get a visa to go to the United States. So, after high school, he moved to France in 1951. There, he started studying literature at The Sorbonne university.
Starting His Career
In 1956, Costa-Gavras decided to follow his passion for film. He left his literature studies to attend IDHEC, a French national film school.
After film school, he worked as an assistant director for famous filmmakers like René Clair. He learned a lot from them. In 1965, he directed his first full-length movie, Compartiment Tueurs.
Famous Films He Directed
Costa-Gavras has directed many important films. Here are some of his most well-known works:
Z (1969)
His 1969 film Z is a thrilling story. It's about a judge who tries to find out the truth behind a politician's murder. Government officials and the military try to hide what really happened. The film is based on real events in Greece in 1963. At the time the movie came out, Greece was ruled by a military government. Z won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
The Confession (1970)
L'Aveu (The Confession, 1970) tells the story of a Czechoslovakian communist minister. He was falsely arrested and put on trial in 1952. The film shows how he was forced to confess to things he didn't do.
State of Siege (1972)
State of Siege (1972) is set in Uruguay in the early 1970s. It's about an American embassy official who is kidnapped by a group of rebels. They question him to learn about secret American support for unfair governments in Latin America.
Missing (1982)
Missing (1982) is based on a true story. It's about an American journalist named Charles Horman who disappeared in Chile in 1973. This happened during a big change in the country's government. Charles's father and wife search for him, trying to find out what happened. The film won an Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay and the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Music Box (1989)
In Music Box (1989), a respected Hungarian immigrant is accused of terrible actions during World War II. His daughter, a lawyer, agrees to defend him in court. The film was inspired by a real-life trial. It won the Golden Bear award at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival.
Amen. (2003)
Amen. (2003) explores a difficult historical question. The film suggests that the leader of the Catholic Church during World War II knew about the suffering of Jewish people in Nazi camps. However, the film shows that he did not speak out publicly. Costa-Gavras won a César Award for Best Writing for this film.
What Are Political Films?
Costa-Gavras is famous for mixing important political topics with exciting movie stories. He often explores themes like law and justice, unfair power, and violence. His early films often focused on right-wing governments and dictatorships. These were common in places like Greece and Latin America during the Cold War.
For example, Z shows problems with the military government in Greece. State of Siege and Missing look at unfair governments in Latin America.
However, L'Aveu (The Confession) is different. It deals with unfair treatment by a Communist government during a period called the Stalinist era. His film Amen. also looks at the actions of the Catholic Church during the 1940s.
Costa-Gavras uses his films to make people think about important issues. He turns complex historical events into fast-paced, engaging stories. He wants to show how big political problems can affect people's personal lives.
How He Influenced Others
Costa-Gavras's films have greatly influenced other filmmakers. Many people say he helped create the modern political thriller movie.
Famous director Wim Wenders called him "One of the greatest filmmakers of our time." Many well-known directors have been inspired by him, including Oliver Stone, William Friedkin, Steven Soderbergh, and Ben Affleck.
For example, Oliver Stone said that Costa-Gavras was one of his earliest role models. William Friedkin, who directed The French Connection, said that watching Z helped him figure out how to film his own movie like a documentary. Steven Soderbergh said Z inspired his film Traffic.
Awards and Honors
Costa-Gavras has received many awards throughout his career:
- His first film, Compartiment Tueurs, won the National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
- Z was the first film ever nominated for both Best Picture and Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards. It won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. It also won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
- He received an honorary doctorate from the Film School of the Aristotle University in 2013.
- He received the Magritte Honorary Award in 2013.
- He was the first filmmaker to receive the Catalonia International Prize in 2017.
His Family
Costa-Gavras's love for filmmaking runs in his family. His daughter, Julie Gavras, and his sons, Romain Gavras and Alexandre Gavras, are also film directors. He is also related to other filmmakers like Penelope Spheeris.
Filmography
Films
| Year | English title | Director | Writer | Producer | Original title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | The Sleeping Car Murders | Yes | Yes | No | Compartiment tueurs |
| 1967 | Shock Troops | Yes | Yes | Yes | Un homme de trop |
| 1969 | Z | Yes | Yes | No | Z |
| 1970 | The Confession | Yes | No | No | L'Aveu |
| 1972 | State of Siege | Yes | Yes | No | État de siège |
| 1975 | Special Section | Yes | Yes | Yes | Section spéciale |
| 1979 | Womanlight | Yes | Yes | No | Clair de femme |
| 1982 | Missing | Yes | Yes | No | Missing. |
| 1983 | Hanna K. | Yes | Yes | No | Hanna K. |
| 1986 | Family Business | Yes | Yes | No | Conseil de famille |
| 1988 | Betrayed | Yes | No | No | Betrayed |
| 1989 | Music Box | Yes | No | No | Music Box |
| 1993 | The Little Apocalypse | Yes | Yes | No | La Petite Apocalypse |
| 1997 | Mad City | Yes | No | No | Mad City |
| 2002 | Amen. | Yes | Yes | No | Amen. |
| 2005 | The Axe | Yes | Yes | No | Le Couperet |
| 2006 | The Colonel | No | Yes | Yes | Mon colonel |
| 2009 | Eden Is West | Yes | Yes | Yes | Eden à l'ouest |
| 2012 | Capital | Yes | Yes | No | Le Capital |
| 2019 | Adults in the Room | Yes | Yes | No | Ενήλικοι στην Αίθουσα |
See also
In Spanish: Costa-Gavras para niños
Images for kids
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Costa-Gavras in 2017
