Z

"He is alive!"

1969 2h 2m FR

🙌

7.8

BANGER

★7.8TMDB · 656

ThrillerCrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A prominent politician is murdered during a demonstration. The government and army are trying to suppress the truth, but a tenacious magistrate is determined not to let them get away with it.

“He is alive!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Yves Montand
Z
Irene Papas
Hélène
Jean-Louis Trintignant
Examining Magistrate
Jacques Perrin
Photojournalist
Charles Denner
Manuel
François Périer
Public Prosecutor
Bernard Fresson
Matt
Pierre Dux
Gendarmerie General Missou

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Costa-Gavras
Writers: Jorge Semprún, Costa-Gavras
Languages: French, Russian
Countries: Algeria, France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

57 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, Russian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Algeria, France.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Costa-Gavras, shot by Raoul Coutard. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Míkis Theodorakis. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Françoise Bonnot shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Yves Montand and Irene Papas and Jean-Louis Trintignant carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He is alive!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Costa-Gavras directs. Raoul Coutard behind the camera. Míkis Theodorakis scores. Françoise Bonnot cuts. Produced in Algeria, France. Dialogue in French, Russian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

157 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, Russian.
3International production across 2 countries: Algeria, France.
4Directed by Costa-Gavras, shot by Raoul Coutard. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Míkis Theodorakis. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Françoise Bonnot shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Yves Montand and Irene Papas and Jean-Louis Trintignant carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "He is alive!".
9IMDB entry: tt0065234 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 27 themes, including "central intelligence agency (cia)", "assassination", "government", "corruption".
11Released under 17 different titles around the world.