Tshireletso Motlogelwa
19 March 2008
Oscar winning director, Anthony Minghella, who also directed the film 'No 1 Lady's Detective Agency' based on a novel set in Botswana, is dead.
The director, who recently left Botswana after filming the movie, died yesterday. According to a statement by Tiro Kganela of the Ministry of Tourism, Minghella was too ill to attend the recent premier of the movie last Friday.
"Anthony did not attend the premier on Friday due to illness. On the day of the second showing by the BBC he passed on. He was the immediate former chairman of the British Film Institute, the venue where the London premiers for the film, No1 Ladies Detective Agency were held," Kganela said.
The cause of death has not been established. The No1 Lady's Detective Agency, which was partly sponsored by the government, recently premiered in London.
He had two projects in the pipeline, 'New York, I Love You', a celluloid ode to 'the Big Apple' for which he had written and directed a segment, and the drama, 'The Ninth Life of Louis Drax'.
Minghella won the best director, Academy Award in 1997, the year in which the film 'The English Patient' won seven Oscars. He was also nominated for the best adapted screenwriting award in 2000 for the movie, 'The Talented Mr Ripley'.
Minghella was born on the Isle of Wight, the son of Gloria and Edward Minghella, ice cream factory owners.
His father was Italian-Scottish and his mother came from Leeds, although her ancestors were also Italian. Minghella attended Sandown Grammar School and St John's college in Portsmouth. He is a graduate of the University of Hull where he completed undergraduate and graduate courses, but eventually abandoned his doctoral thesis.
Minghella had recently relinquished his role as chairman of the British Film Institute and was replaced earlier this month by the former director general of the BBC, Greg Dyke, also famous for the movie 'The English Patient'. Minghella is married to Hong Kong choreographer, Carolyn Choa. They have two children. He was 54.
A production of a TV series based on the No 1 Lady's Detective Agency was reportedly slated for the near future.
Media reports early this week indicated that U.S. and British producers had joined forces to create the television series. U.S. network HBO is reported to have signed up for 13 episodes of the series for the American market.
The BBC is scheduled to air the two hour movie on Easter weekend. Meanwhile, a group made up of the Mogwana Traditional Group and folk artist, Stampore, yesterday returned from the premier of the film. They are part of the crew which worked on the soundtrack. (Additional source: Guardian)
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