Michael Cacoyannis ( el, Μιχάλης Κακογιάννης, ''Michalis Kakogiannis''; 11 June 1922 – 25 July 2011), sometimes credited as Michael Yannis, was a Greek Cypriot theatre and film director, writer, producer, and actor. Much of his work was rooted in classical texts, especially those of the Greek tragedian Euripides. His most acclaimed work is the 1964 film ''

Zorba the Greek ''Zorba the Greek'' ( el, Βίος και Πολιτεία του Αλέξη Ζορμπά, , Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas) is a novel written by the Cretan author Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in 1946. It is the tale of a young Greek int ...

,'' an adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis' novel of the same name. He also directed the 1983 Broadway revival of the musical based on the film. In addition to directing, he also wrote, produced, translated, and designed dozens of stage play and opera productions. He was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

five times, a record for any Cypriot film artist. He received

Best Picture This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress# ...

Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * BAF ...

, and

Best Adapted Screenplay This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress# ...

nominations for ''Zorba the Greek'', and two nominations in the

Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

category for '' Electra'' (1962) and ''

Iphigenia In Greek mythology, Iphigenia (; grc, Ἰφιγένεια, , ) was a daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra, and thus a princess of Mycenae. In the story, Agamemnon offends the goddess Artemis on his way to the Trojan War by huntin ...

'' (1977). He received many other international accolades, including the Technical Grand Prize from the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...

, as well as six Palme d'Or nominations.

Life and career

Cacoyannis was born in 1922 in

Limassol Limassol (; el, Λεμεσός, Lemesós ; tr, Limasol or ) is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the district with the same name. Limassol is the second largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban population ...

, Cyprus. His father, Sir

Panayotis Loizou Cacoyannis Panagiotis or Panayiotis ( el, Παναγιώτης, ), "Παν" (all) "άγιος" (holy or saint) suffix "-της" (which can mean "of the"), is a common male Greek name. It derives from the Greek epithet Panagia or ''Panayia'' ("All-Holy") for ...

, had been knighted in the

1936 Birthday Honours The King's Birthday Honours 1936 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of King Edward VIII to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate th ...

by the United Kingdom government for public services in Cyprus. His sister was the politician

Stella Soulioti Stella Soulioti (13 February 1920 – 1 November 2012) was a Cypriot attorney and politician. She was born in Limassol, the daughter of the lawyer Sir Panayiotis Cacoyannnis, and the sister of the film director Michael Cacoyannis. Soulioti was t ...

. In 1939, he was sent by his father to London to become a lawyer. He graduated from law school and joined the

BBC World Service The BBC World Service is an international broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC, with funding from the British Government through the Foreign Secretary's office. It is the world's largest external broadcaster in terms of reception a ...

, soon taking charge of its new Cyprus Service. His deputy was Beba Clerides, sister of the RAF fighter pilot and future President of Cyprus,

Glafkos Clerides Glafcos Ioannou Clerides ( el, Γλαύκος Ιωάννου Κληρίδης; 24 April 1919 – 15 November 2013) was a Cypriot politician and barrister who served as the fourth president of Cyprus from 1993 to 2003. At the time of his death, h ...

. However, after producing Greek-language programs for the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

World Service during World War II,Erickson, Hal (2006)
Allmovie Biography
/ref> he ended up at the Old Vic school, and enjoyed a brief stage career there under the name Michael Yannis before he began working on films. After having trouble finding a directing job in the

British film industry The United Kingdom has had a significant film industry for over a century. While film production reached an all-time high in 1936, the "golden age" of British cinema is usually thought to have occurred in the 1940s, during which the directors D ...

, Cacoyannis moved to Greece, and in 1953 he made his first film, ''Windfall in Athens''. He was offered the chance to direct

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

and Marlon Brando in the film '' Reflections in a Golden Eye'', but he declined. Between 1959 and 1967, he was in a relationship with

Yael Dayan Yaël Dayan ( he, יעל דיין, born 12 February 1939) is an Israeli politician and author. She served as a member of the Knesset between 1992 and 2003, and from 2008 to 2013 was the chair of Tel Aviv city council. Her service on the city cou ...

, a progressive Israeli politician and author. Cacoyannis translated some of Shakespeare's plays ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' (First Folio title: ''The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed, by the King's Men, at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre in around ...

'', ''

Coriolanus ''Coriolanus'' ( or ) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. The play is based on the life of the legendary Roman leader Caius Marcius Coriolanus. Shakespeare worked on it during the same ye ...

'' and '' Hamlet'' into Greek, and Euripides' play ''

The Bacchae ''The Bacchae'' (; grc-gre, Βάκχαι, ''Bakchai''; also known as ''The Bacchantes'' ) is an ancient Greek tragedy, written by the Athenian playwright Euripides during his final years in Macedonia, at the court of Archelaus I of Macedon. ...

'' into English. Cacoyannis died on 25 July 2011 in Athens, aged 89.

Filmography

* '' The Cherry Orchard'' (1999): director, screenwriter, producer * ''Up, Down and Sideways'' (''Pano kato ke plagios'') (1993): director, screenwriter, producer * '' Sweet Country'' (''Glykeia patrida'') (1986): director, screenwriter, producer * ''

'' (1977): director, screenwriter * ''

Attilas '74 ''Attila '74: The Rape of Cyprus'' is a 1974 documentary film by Michael Cacoyannis about the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. It was filmed on location in Cyprus and Greece in the immediate aftermath of the two Turkish invasions and subseque ...

'' (1975): director, producer * ''The Story of Jacob and Joseph'', director * ''

The Trojan Women ''The Trojan Women'' ( grc, Τρῳάδες, translit=Trōiades), also translated as ''The Women of Troy'', and also known by its transliterated Greek title ''Troades'', is a tragedy by the Greek playwright Euripides. Produced in 415 BC during ...

'' (1971): director, screenwriter, producer * ''

The Day the Fish Came Out ''The Day the Fish Came Out'' (Greece: Otan ta psaria vgikan sti steria) is a 1967 DeLuxe Color Greek–British comedy film directed and written by Michael Cacoyannis who also designed the film's futuristic costumes. The film stars Tom Courte ...

'' (''Otan ta psaria vgikan sti steria'') (1967): director, screenwriter, producer * ''

'' (''Alexis Zorbas'') (1964): director, screenwriter, producer * '' Electra'' (1962): director, screenwriter, producer * ''

The Wastrel ''The Wastrel'' ( it, Il relitto) is a 1961 Italian-Cypriot drama film directed by Michael Cacoyannis and starring Ellie Lambeti. It was entered into the 1961 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * Ellie Lambeti as Mrs. Bell * Van Heflin as Duncan Bell * ...

'' (''Il Relitto'') (1961): director, screenwriter * '' Eroica'' (''Our Last Spring'') (1960): director, screenwriter, producer * ''

A Matter of Dignity ''A Matter of Dignity'' ( el, Το τελευταίο ψέμα, translit. To teleftaio psema) is a 1958 Greek drama film directed by Michael Cacoyannis. It was entered into the 1958 Cannes Film Festival. Plot The Pellas are magnates who f ...

'' (''To telefteo psemma'') (1957): director, screenwriter, producer * ''

A Girl in Black ''A Girl in Black'' ( el, Το Κορίτσι με τα Μαύρα) is a 1956 Greek dramatic film by the Cypriot director Michael Cacoyannis starring Dimitris Horn and Ellie Lambeti. The film takes place on the Greek island of Hydra, where two Ath ...

'' (''To koritsi me ta mavra'') (1956): director, screenwriter * ''

Stella Stella or STELLA may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Comedy *Stella (comedy group), a comedy troupe consisting of Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black and David Wain Characters * Stella (given name), including a list of characters with t ...

'' (1955): director, screenwriter, producer * ''

Windfall in Athens ''Windfall in Athens'' (, ) is a 1954 Greek comedy film directed by Michael Cacoyannis. It was entered into the 1954 Cannes Film Festival. Plot Mina, a beautiful, care-free salesgirl for a milliner's shop, is robbed by two urchins while she is ...

'' (''Kyriakatiko xypnima'') (1954): director, screenwriter

Bibliography

* Cacoyiannis, Michael. ''Diladi''. Athens: Kastaniotis, 1990.

Awards and nominations

Cannes Film Festival *1954 : ''Golden Palm'' for "Windfall in Athens" – nominated *1955 : ''Golden Palm'' for "Stella" – nominated *1956 : ''Golden Palm'' for "A Girl in Black" – nominated *1957 : ''Golden Palm'' for "A Matter of Dignity" – nominated *1961 : ''Golden Palm'' for "The Wastrel" – nominated *1962 : ''Golden Palm'' for "Elektra" – nominated *1962 : ''Grand Jury Prize'' for "Elektra" – won *1962 : ''Technical Award'' for "Elektra" – won *1977 : ''Golden Palm'' for "Iphigenia" – nominated Berlin International Film Festival *

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Jan ...

: ''

Golden Bear The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin. History The win ...

'' for "Our Last Spring" – nominated *1963 : ''David O. Selznick Award'' for "Elektra" – won Academy Award (Oscar) *1963 : ''Best Foreign Language Film'' for "Elektra" – nominated *1964 : ''Best Picture'' for "Zorba the Greek" – nominated *1964 : ''Best Director'' for "Zorba the Greek" – nominated *1964 : ''Best Adapted Screenplay'' for "Zorba the Greek" – nominated *1977 : ''Best Foreign Language Film'' for "Iphigenia" – nominated Golden Globe *1956 : ''Best Foreign Language Film'' for "Stella" – won *1957 : ''Best Foreign Language Film'' for "A Girl in Black" – won *1965 : ''Best Director'' for "Zorba the Greek – nominated British Academy Award (BAFTA) *1966 : ''Best Film'' for "Zorba the Greek" – nominated *1966 : ''UN Award'' for "Zorba the Greek" – nominated New York Film Critics *1964 : ''Best Film'' for "Zorba the Greek" – nominated *1964 : ''Best Director'' for "Zorba the Greek" – nominated *1964 : ''Best Screenplay'' for "Zorba the Greek" – nominated David di Donatello Award *1964 : ''Special Plaque'' for "Zorba the Greek" – won Thessaloniki Film Festival *1960 : ''Special Contribution Award'' – won *1961 : ''Best Director'' for "Our Last Spring" – won *1962 : ''Best Film'' for "Elektra" – won *1962 : ''Best Director'' for "Elektra" – won *1977 : ''Best Film'' for "Iphigenia" – won *1999 : ''Union of Film and Television Technicians Award'' for "The Cherry Orchard" – won Moscow Film Festival *1956 : ''Silver Medal'' for "A Girl in Black" – Won Edinburgh Film Festival *1954 : ''Diploma of Merit'' for "Windfall in Athens" – won *1962 : ''Diploma of Merit'' for "Elektra" – won Montreal World Film Festival *1999 : ''Special Contribution Award'' – won Jerusalem Film Festival *1999 : ''Lifetime Achievement Award'' – won Cairo International Film Festival *2001 : ''Lifetime Achievement Award'' – won

References

External links.