MUMBAI: Acclaimed Cypriot film director, screenwriter and producer Michalis Cacoyannis passed away yesterday in Athens.

Five-time Academy Award nominee 89-year old Cacoyannis was born in Limassol in 1921 and went to London to train as a lawyer in 1939.

During his stay in London Cacoyannis produced Greek-language programmes for the BBC world service, discovered a latent interest in film and ended up studying theatre at the renowned Old Vic proceeding to work on the stage before turning to directing.

He moved to Greece in 1953 and made his first film, Windfall in Athens that was nominated for a Golden Palm at the Cannes Film festival. 

Among his films were Iphigenia, Attilas ‘74, Zorba the Greek, Electra and Stella.