Born in Limassol, Cyprus, in 1922 and dying in Athens in 2011, Michael Cacoyannis studied law in London and worked for the BBC before returning to Greece to make films. Stella (1955), with Melina Mercouri, was an early international success. His adaptations of Euripides, Electra (1962), The Trojan Women (1971) and Iphigenia (1977), brought Greek tragedy to the screen. Zorba the Greek (1964), after Nikos Kazantzakis, with Anthony Quinn dancing on a beach in Crete, won three Oscars and Cacoyannis was nominated for director, writer and picture.
Filmography
- Stella (1955)
- A Girl in Black (1956)
- Electra (1962)
- Zorba the Greek (1964)
- The Trojan Women (1971)
- Iphigenia (1977)
- The Cherry Orchard (1999)