Patrice Chereau, the celebrated French theatre, opera and cinema director whose works ranged from the epic 1994 film "La Reine Margot" to the seminal 1976 production of Wagner's "Ring Cycle", has died aged 68, reports GlobalPost.
"He had an extraordinary vitality right until the end," said Elisabeth Tanner, co-director of the Artmedia agency that represented Chereau, as she confirmed his death after a long illness.
Chereau made 10 films including the Oscar-nominated and Cannes jury prize winner "La Reine Margot" and "Intimacy" -- which scooped the Berlin Golden Bear best film award in 2001.
He was considered one of the greats of French theatre, but made his name outside his home country with his 1976 staging of Wagner's "Ring Cycle" at the Bayreuth opera festival.
Staged from 1976 to 1980, Chereau stirred controversy with his take of Wagner's sprawling masterpiece, setting the action in the Industrial Age.
The result was a production that is today viewed as a groundbreaking work.
The director of the Paris Opera Nicolas Joel, who was Chereau's assistant on that production, said he was "overcome".
Read more of this AFP report published by GlobalPost.