Z (Costa-Gavras 1969, 15): Crime and Justice Film Festival

Z (Costa-Gavras 1969, 15): Crime and Justice Film Festival

A popular left-wing politician in an unnamed Mediterranean country is killed in a seemingly random attack. The dead man is hailed as a martyr and conspiracy theories begin to circulate. The General who heads the country’s authoritarian government sets up an inquiry into the affair; he appoints a conservative judge to chair it, trusting that he will reach the right conclusions. But as investigations continue, the judge finds evidence of a conspiracy which he can’t ignore – a conspiracy that may go all the way to the top...

Z begins with a title card reading “Any similarity to actual events or persons living or dead is not coincidental. It is INTENTIONAL.” The film is closely based on the real-life assassination of Greek politician Grigoris Lambrakis and the subsequent investigation. However, the main characters are known only by their titles (“The General”, “The Magistrate”) and the film is not specifically set in Greece (the script is in French and the film was shot in Algeria). The implication is clear: the message of these events is universal.

“It is a film of our time. It is about how even moral victories are corrupted. It will make you weep and will make you angry. It will tear your guts out.” – Roger Ebert

Z will be introduced by Dr Phil Edwards, MMU Research Fellow who has written and taught on political violence. Phil will be joined for the post-screening Q&A by Dr Isabelle Vanderschelden, co-founder of FILTA (Film in language teaching association)

This event is in partnership with Alliance Française de Manchester (Registered Charity n° 1068084).

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ALL EVENTS ARE FREE – PLEASE BOOK TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT

Welcome to the 2026 festival sponsored by the School of Sociology & Criminology at Manchester Metropolitan University and curated by the university’s Policy Evaluation and Research Unit.

Since 2019 we’ve had a consistent mission – screening great films which provoke debate and provide an alternative take on crime, justice and punishment in the 21st century.

This year’s programme brings you an eclectic mix of international crime classics and lesser-known gems from a century of cinema, with settings ranging from the Scottish islands to the south of Chile. Our experts will be on hand to introduce the movies and to answer your questions at Q+A sessions after each screening. Selected screenings will also feature short films documenting creative projects delivered in prisons, in partnership between artist Faye Claridge,learners from each establishment and our partner Novus.

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Upcoming Films in the Festival:

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Friday 19th June, 5.30–8.15pm

Grosvenor East Building, Cavendish Street, Manchester, M15 6BG

Limbo (Ben Sharrock 2020)

Cert 12, 104 minutes

On a remote Scottish island, four asylum seekers – Syrian Omar, Farhad from Afghanistan, Wasef from Nigeria and Abedi from Ghana – wait for their claims to be decided. And wait, and wait. Barred from taking paid work, they fill their days by watching DVDs, attending wince-inducing “cultural awareness” sessions and arguing among themselves.

Booking Link: Limbo (12) : Crime and Justice Film Festival 2026

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The Festival is supported by our partners:

• Instituto Cervantes Manchester

• Alliance Française de Manchester (Registered Charity n° 1068084)

• Greater Manchester Youth Federation

• North West Film Archive

• Novus

• Goethe-Institut UK

• Breaking Barriers

• In Place of War

Screenings will take place at Grosvenor East Building, the university’s Arts and Creative Hub. Grosvenor East is on the corner of Oxford Road and Cavendish Street, five minutes’ walk from Oxford Rd train station. We also have a joint screening with our partners at Instituto Cervantes Manchester.

We look forward to welcoming old friends and new audiences alike, from the UK and internationally.

See you at the movies!

Your festival team:

Kevin Wong, Gavin Bailey, Anton Roberts, Katie Hunter, Phil Edwards and Benedicte Brahic

Film notes by Phil Edwards

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