political thriller. His suspenseful thrillers featuring contemporary and historical themes became his trademark. Costa-Gavras' fifth film "State of Siege" (1972) depicts a country that oppresses its own citizens — but this time, it's Uruguay.

Costa-Gavras, the master of political thrillers Romy Schneider and Yves Montand Once in a while, the director turns to lighter material. In a profound and elegant way, his movie "Womanlight" starring Romy Schneider and Yves Montand tells the story of an incidental encounter between a woman and a man. Both of them have lost their partners and are searching for consolation.

Costa-Gavras, the master of political thrillers Oscar for 'Missing' "Missing" from 1981 tells the story of an American who has disappeared in the chaos of the Chilean military regime. His father (Jack Lemmon) is lookingfor him. "Missing" was awarded an Oscar but came under fire, nonetheless, when critics claimed that Costa-Gavras had exploited political topics in a mainstream film.

Costa-Gavras, the master of political thrillers Looking at the Middle East After his adventure in Hollywood, Costa-Gavras returned to France for his next project. "Hanna K." (1983) takes a look at yet another crisis region, the Middle East, and the continuing conflict between Israel and Palestine. An American-Jewish lawyer portrayed by Jill Clayburg gets drawn into the conflict.

Costa-Gavras, the master of political thrillers The other America Five years later, Costa-Gavras dealt with another controversial topic. In "Betrayed," he depicts far-right sentiments such as racism, anti-Semitism, the Holocaust denial and Christian fundamentalism in American society.

Costa-Gavras, the master of political thrillers Armin Mueller-Stahl in 'Music Box'