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At age 86, Costa Gavras ("Z", "L'Aveu") has just made his twentieth film. "Adults in the Room" is the story of part of the crisis between Greece and Europe, inspired by the namesake book of Yanis Varoufakis, Greek Minister of Finance between January and July 2015.
Today, Costa Gavras says he is more French than Greek, which does not prevent him from being indignant at the fate reserved for his former compatriots. In Adults in the Room , he tells the story of Yanis Varoufakis' struggle for several months, trying to renegotiate the huge Greek debt with the European institutions.
In two exciting hours, Costa Gavras retraces his fight. It makes us live behind the scenes of the negotiations and it is gratiné. Hypocrisy of the French, arrogance of the Germans, cowardice, scorn, racism barely masked. Little by little, the minister will understand that he is alone against everyone.
When wages go down and unemployment goes up
" They wanted to punish the Greek government outright, Costa Gavras said , but in the end it was not the government they were punishing, but the people, who were suffering more and more. Wages have fallen to 40 percent, unemployment has risen to 29 or 30 percent. For a people, these are tragic things. "
That's it, Adults in the Room , a Greek tragedy filmed unvarnished with a hint of comedy and sometimes even musical comedy that only makes it more squeaky.
► To listen also: Costa Gavras is today our Guest Culture