About Me
Constantinos Gavras (born February 13, 1933, Loutra Iraias, Greece), better known as (Constantin) Costas Gavras (and other variants), is a Greek-French filmmaker best known for films with overt political themes. He has made movies mostly in French but also several in English. He is a first cousin of recording artist Jimmie Spheeris and filmaker Penelope Spheeris.Costas Gavras was born to a poor family in Arcadia, Greece. His family spent the Second World War in his village in the Peloponnese, and moved to Athens after the war. His father was a member of EAM and was imprisoned after the war. His father's record made it impossible for him to attend university or emigrate to the United States,so he went to France in 1951, after high school, where he began his studies of law. In 1956, he left his university studies to study film at the French national film school, IDHEC. After film school, he apprenticed under Yves Allegret, and became an assistant director for Jean Giono and Rene Clair. After several further positions as first assistant director, he directed his first feature film, Compartiment Tueurs, in 1965.Costas Gavras was president of the Cinémathèque française from 1982-1987
