The activist who also makes films

COSTA-GAVRAS is a master of politically charged cinema, with films that are often thinly disguised fictionalized versions of ripped-from-the-headline stories with a strong liberal bent. Over the last four decades, he’s taken on conservative regimes in his native Greece, as well as in Uruguay and Chile. He’s explored Nazi war criminals living a covert existence in America and the white separatist movement.

His political activism comes easy to him. His father was a Greek resistance hero who fought against the Nazis during World War II, only to be labeled a communist by the Greek postwar government for his outspoken views.

The Paris-based writer-director, 73, is visiting Los Angeles to participate in “On Set With French Cinema,” a program, begun in 2003, that brings noted French directors to teach master classes at UCLA, the American Film Institute, USC and Cal Arts, as well as giving them a chance to discuss their films during a retrospective at the American Cinemathque’s Egyptian Theatre.

Costa-Gavras’ retrospective starts Friday, with a screening of his best-known film, the Oscar-winning 1969 thriller, “Z,” as well as his first American film, 1982’s “Missing,” for which he won a screenplay Oscar. The director is scheduled to appear between the films. Saturday, the Cinematheque is offering his 1989 drama “Music Box,” as well as 1983’s “Hanna K.”

During a recent phone conversation from Paris, the affable director, who was born Constantinos Gavras, admitted he was looking forward to revisiting his films with a new generation of Americans. “I was there several years ago,” he says. “The situation is different, and I am very curious to experience it.”

In the early 1950s, Costa-Gavras wanted to attend film school in the United States but wasn’t admitted because of his father’s communist leanings.

“It was the Cold War, and it was very difficult for a young man from Greece whose father and family had particular political ideas,” he says. “You know director Penelope Spheeris? She is my first cousin. I had some uncles in Milwaukee and they invited me and I couldn’t come. But I finally came to France -- that wasn’t bad.”

In Paris, he worked as an assistant with such noted directors as Rene Clair, Rene Clement and Jacques Demy before making his directorial debut with 1965’s fast-paced thriller “The Sleeping Car Murders,” starring Yves Montand and his wife, Simone Signoret.

It was 1969’s political thriller “Z” that put Costa-Gavras on the international map. Montand plays a left-wing political candidate in an unnamed country who is assassinated by killers from the fascist government. A young prosecutor (Jean-Louis Trintignant) uncovers a vast political conspiracy during his investigation.

“It was an amazing adventure,” the director recalls. “No one was willing to produce the movie, even with all the stars ready to play in it.”

The film finally found a home in Algeria. “Jacques Perrin, the actor [who is in the film], said he knew the Algerians and said why don’t we go shoot it in Algeria? The Algerians helped us with a crew and we had a small amount of money .... We did the movie for something like $400,000.”

“Z,” based on the events surrounding the assassination of Greek politician Grigoris Lambrakis in 1963, became the first foreign-language film to be nominated for the best film Oscar since 1938’s “Grand Illusion.” The film won the Academy Award for foreign-language film and editing.

Later in his career, Costa-Gavras enjoyed making films in America. “Working in Hollywood is everybody’s dream,” he says.

When he did “Missing,” which was based on a true story of the disappearance of an American journalist during a coup in Chile in 1973, he had two caveats: He wanted to work with his French crew and do the post-production in France. “I didn’t have any problems,” he says. “I had quite a bit of freedom.”

He also had good producers in America, especially Edward Lewis on “Missing.” Lewis went to bat for him when he wanted Jack Lemmon to play the conservative father of the missing American journalist.

“Everybody said, ‘Jack Lemmon? Are we doing a comedy?’ We had discussions and discussions. After a while Eddie said, ‘Is this the person you really want to get?’ I said yes. So he went to the company [Universal] and said he would like to have Jack Lemmon. And they let me do it.”

Costa-Gavras admits audiences aren’t as interested in political films as they once were. “They are very suspicious,” he says. “They don’t trust our political leaders ... and that reflects in the reactions of producers and film companies. The other problem is the young generation goes to more special-effects movies.”

But he’s still very much a political animal. He has just finished a script for a new film he hopes to shoot in Europe this year.

“It’s difficult to talk about,” he says. “It’s an actual story -- a very, very today story.”

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On Set With French Cinema

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Two Nights with Costa-Gavras

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Where: American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood

When: Friday and Saturday

Price: $8 and $10

Contact: (323) 466-FILM or go to americancinematheque.com

Schedule

Friday: “Missing,” “Z,” 7:30 p.m.

Saturday: “Music Box,” “Hanna K,” 7:30 p.m.