Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Costa-Gavras

Role / Field:

Acclaimed Greek-French director known for powerful political thrillers.

Born:

1933-02-12

Century / Era:

1933s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Konstantinos "Kostas" Gavras (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος "Κώστας" Γαβράς; born 12 February 1933), known professionally as Costa-Gavras, is a Greek-French film director, screenwriter, and producer who lives and works in France. He is known for political films, such as the political thriller Z (1969), which won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and Missing (1982), for which he won the Palme d'Or and an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Most of his films have been made in French, but six have been in English, including Hanna K. Costa-Gavras was born in Loutra Iraias, Arcadia.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His family spent the Second World War in a village in the Peloponnese, and moved to Athens after the war. His father had been a member of the Pro-Soviet branch of the Greek Resistance, and was imprisoned during the Greek Civil War. His father's Communist Party membership made it impossible for Costa-Gavras to attend university in Greece or to be granted a visa to the United States, so after high school, he settled in France, where he began studying literature at the Sorbonne in 1951. In 1956, he abandoned his university studies to study film at the French national...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• 13th Dalai Lama — Contemporary (Died in 1933) (1933): Spiritual leader of Tibet who championed national independence and modernization.
• Adolf Loos — Contemporary (Died in 1933) (1933): Pioneering architect and theorist of modernism, known for his critique of ornamentation.
• Adolph Caesar — Contemporary (Born in 1933) (1933): Acclaimed American actor known for his deep voice and Off-Broadway staple status.
• Abraham Lincoln — Shared historical date (02-12 · Born) (1809): 16th President of the United States; guided the nation through the Civil War.
• Alexius, Metropolitan of Kiev — Shared historical date (02-12 · Died) (1378): Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus', guiding Muscovite government through turbulent times.
• Akihito — Historical peer (Born in 1933) (1933): 125th Emperor of Japan; reigned during the Heisei era (1989-2019).
• Ali Shariati — Historical peer (Born in 1933) (1933): Influential Iranian sociologist and philosopher known for Shariatism.
• Adam Gilchrist — Historical peer (Born in 1969) (1969): Legendary Australian cricketer, redefining the wicket-keeper-batsman role with aggressive flair.
• Adam Riess — Historical peer (Born in 1969) (1969): Astrophysicist known for evidence of accelerating universe expansion via supernovae.
• 1982 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament — Historical peer (Born in 1982) (1982): The 44th annual NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
• 1933 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1933
• February 12 (02-12) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on February 12

Frequently Asked Questions about Costa-Gavras