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France, Algeria – 1969 – Color – 127’
Direction: Costa-Gavras | Screenplay: Jorge Semprún, Costa-Gavras, Ben Barzman | Cinematography: Raoul Coutard | Editing: Françoise Bonnot | Music: Mikis Theodorakis | Cast: Yves Montand, Irene Papas, Jean-Louis Trintignant, François Périer, Jacques Perrin, Charles Denner, Pierre Dux, Georges Géret, Bernard Fresson, Marcel Bozzuffi, Renato Salvatori | Production: Jacques Perrin, Ahmed Rachedi, Philippe d'Argila, Eric Schlumberger
In a military-led country, a pacifist organization, which supports the opposition party in the government, is planning on holding an anti-military demonstration. The organization’s leader is scheduled to arrive the day of the demonstration. During the protest, some strangers manage to assassinate him. The official report is that the incident was an accident. In reality, the deputy’s death was murder orchestrated by the secret police. Thrown into the mix is a photojournalist who’s looking for the truth.
*The film won an Academy Award for Best Editing for Françoise Bonnot and a Best Foreign Language Film Award in 1970, and was nominated in three other categories. At the 1969 Cannes Film Festival, Jean-Louis Trintignant won the Best Actor Award, while the film was nominated for the Golden Palm.
