PARIS: Patrice Chereau, the celebrated French theatre, opera and cinema director whose works included the epic 1994 film "La Reine Margot", has died aged 68.
"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.
Chereau made 10 films including the Oscar-nominated "La Reine Margot", "Persecution" and "Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train".
He was considered one of the greats of French theatre, but he made his name outside his home country with his 1976 staging of Wagner's "Ring Cycle" at the Bayreuth opera festival.
The director of the Paris Opera Nicolas Joel, who was Chereau's assistant on that production, said he was "overcome".
"He did me the honour of asking me to go with him to the Bayreuth festival for the centenary 'Ring Cycle.' I still have wonderful memories of the time we spent together," said Joel.
Chereau's final production, of Richard Strauss's "Elektra" at the Aix-en-Provence music festival in July, won a standing ovation.
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