Costa-Gavras

"Any resemblance to real events or to persons living or dead is not the result of chance. It is voluntary." Raised in a home with an atheist father and an orthodox Christian mother, he found the perfect environment to develop a questioning spirit. His father fought in the anti-Nazi resistance and was singled out for alleged Communist Party affiliation, which prevented Costa from being admitted to university in his native Greece or getting a visa to the United States. He graduated with a degree in Literature in Paris and then advanced with film training at the Institute of Higher Cinematographic Studies (IDHEC), where he encountered his great passion. He gained experience working as assistant director to René Clair, Jacques Demy and Henri Verneuil, among others, and in 1965 he released Compartiment tueurs, his first film as a director and from which he began a politically committed and contentious filmography, leaning mainly towards political thrillers, drama and social fiction. His strong and contentious spirit has been recognized at festivals such as Cannes, San Sebastian and the Oscars.