Z (1969 film)

Z
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Costa-Gavras
Screenplay by	Jorge Semprún Costa-Gavras
Based on	Z (1967 novel) by Vassilis Vassilikos
Produced by	Jacques Perrin Ahmed Rachedi
Starring	Yves Montand Irene Papas Jean-Louis Trintignant Charles Denner Georges Geret Jacques Perrin François Perier Bernard Fresson Pierre Dux Julien Guiomar Marcel Bozzufi Magali Noel Renato Salvatori
Cinematography	Raoul Coutard
Edited by	Françoise Bonnot
Music by	Mikis Theodorakis
Production companies	Office National pour le Commerce et l'Industrie Cinématographique Reggane Films Valoria Films
Distributed by	Varloria Films (France)
Release date	26 February 1969 (1969-02-26) (France)
Running time	127 minutes[1]
Countries	France[2][3] Algeria[2]
Languages	French Russian English
Box office	$17.3 million (United States)[4]

Z is a 1969 political thriller film directed by Costa-Gavras, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jorge Semprún, adapted from the 1967 novel of the same name by Vassilis Vassilikos. The film presents a thinly fictionalized account of the events surrounding the assassination of the democratic Greek politician Grigoris Lambrakis in 1963. With its dark view of Greek politics and its downbeat ending, the film captures the director's outrage about the junta that then ruled Greece. The title refers to a popular Greek protest slogan (Greek: Ζει, IPA: [ˈzi]) meaning "he lives," in reference to Lambrakis.

A French and Algerian co-production,^[2] the film stars Jean-Louis Trintignant as the investigating magistrate, an analogue of Christos Sartzetakis, who would become the Greek president from 1985 to 1990. International stars Yves Montand and Irene Papas also appear, but despite their star billing, they have very little screen time. Jacques Perrin, who also produced the film, plays a key role as a photojournalist. Other actors in the film include Pierre Dux, Charles Denner, François Périer, Georges Géret and Bernard Fresson. The musical score was composed by Mikis Theodorakis.

Z was the first film and one of only a handful to be nominated by the Academy Awards for both Best Picture and Best Foreign Language Film. It won the latter as well as the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music and the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film. At the 27th Golden Globe Awards, its producers refused the award to protest the film's exclusion from the Best Motion Picture – Drama category.^[5]