Michael Cacoyannis

Michael Cacoyannis (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, 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 five times, a record for any Cypriot film artist. He received Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay nominations for Zorba the Greek, and two nominations in the Best Foreign Language Film category for Electra (1962) and Iphigenia (1977). He received many other international accolades, including the Technical Grand Prize from the Cannes Film Festival, as well as six Palme d'Or nominations.

Life and career
Cacoyannis was born in 1922 in Limassol, Cyprus. His father, Sir Panayotis Loizou Cacoyannis, had been knighted in the 1936 Birthday Honours by the United Kingdom government for public services in Cyprus. His sister was the politician Stella Soulioti.

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, 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. However, after producing Greek-language programmes for the BBC World Service during World War II, 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, Cacoyannis moved to Greece, and in 1953 he made his first film, Windfall in Athens.

He was offered the chance to direct Elizabeth Taylor 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, a progressive Israeli politician and author. Cacoyannis translated some of Shakespeare's plays Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus and Hamlet into Greek, and Euripides' play The Bacchae 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
 * Iphigenia (1977): director, screenwriter
 * Attilas '74 (1975): director, producer
 * The Story of Jacob and Joseph, director
 * The Trojan Women (1971): director, screenwriter, producer
 * The Day the Fish Came Out (Otan ta psaria vgikan sti steria) (1967): director, screenwriter, producer
 * Zorba the Greek (Alexis Zorbas) (1964): director, screenwriter, producer
 * Electra (1962): director, screenwriter, producer
 * The Wastrel (Il Relitto) (1961): director, screenwriter
 * Eroica (Our Last Spring) (1960): director, screenwriter, producer
 * A Matter of Dignity (To telefteo psemma) (1957): director, screenwriter, producer
 * A Girl in Black (To koritsi me ta mavra) (1956): director, screenwriter
 * Stella (1955): director, screenwriter, producer
 * Windfall in Athens (Kyriakatiko xypnima) (1954): director, screenwriter

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 : Golden Bear 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