Michael Cacoyannis

Motion Picture Director. His is best known for directing the big screen feature "Zorba the Greek" (1964). Born Mihalis Kakogiannis to Greek parents, his father was a lawyer and political legislature knighted by the British. He studied law in England, before producing programs for the BBC's Greek service. He attended acting and directing school, also expressing a keen interest in screenwriting. He gained experience with the Old Vic Company and marked his stage debut as a performer in a production of "Salome" in 1947. In 1955, he initiated his film association with the Melinda Mercouri picture "Stella" and followed with six feature efforts, before penning and directing the screen adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis' "Zorba the Greek" in 1964. Cacoyannis received praise for the off-Broadway production of "The Trojan Women" (1963 to 1965) and directed a screen adaptation of the play in 1971.