State of Siege is a 1972 film directed by Costa-Gavras and written by Franco Solinas and Costa-Gavras. The film follows the story of an American CIA agent named Philip Michael Santore who is kidnapped by Tupamaros, a leftist urban guerrilla group in Uruguay. The film unfolds as a series of flashbacks, as Santore is interrogated by his captors, who seek information about the US's role in supporting the Uruguayan government in its fight against the Tupamaros.
Through Santore's recollections, the film explores the brutal tactics employed by the Uruguayan security forces and their US advisors, including secret detention centers, torture, and assassination. The film depicts the conflict between the guerrillas and the government as a microcosm of the larger Cold War struggle between the US and the Soviet Union.
State of Siege was controversial when it was released, with some critics accusing it of portraying the Tupamaros sympathetically. However, the film was also praised for its realistic portrayal of state violence and political repression. It is considered one of Costa-Gavras's most important films and a classic of political cinema.