A veteran Greek politician travels to Paris to negotiate with European officials over his country's crippling debt crisis, finding himself outmanoeuvred at every turn by bureaucrats and financiers determined to impose harsh austerity measures. The film draws on the real experiences of former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, depicting the power struggles and backroom dealings of the Eurozone negotiations during the Greek financial crisis. Costa-Gavras directs this political drama as a study of institutional pressure and the limits of democratic sovereignty when pitted against the demands of creditors.