Oscar-Winning Director Anthony Minghella Dies
English filmmaker Anthony Minghella, who received an Oscar for The English Patient (1996), died Tuesday of a hemorrhage following surgery.
The English Patient, adapted from the novel by Michael Ondaatje, won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and an Best Supporting Actress for Juliette Binoche (pictured above with Minghella after the premiere of Breaking and Entering.)
The film was one of a series of Mingella's many literary adaptations, including The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) and Cold Mountain (2003). Minghella was recently in Botswana where he was filming an adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith's novel The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. The film is set to premiere on British television later this week. Minghella was also set to contribute a short for the upcoming anthology film New York, I Love You.
Comments
Several years ago I worked on a documentary about Director Anthony Milghella. Unlike some directors, he was a pleasure to work with and very down to earth, not to mention a cinematic genius. I have watched The English Patient 10 times and it never grows old. Film fans will miss his brilliant sense of art and skill in casting the perfect actors for his characters. I am sad to hear of his passing.