Walter Lassally
Hospital officials on the island of Crete have announced German-born cinematographer Walter Lassally, who won an Academy Award for the legendary 1964 film “Zorba the Greek", has died at the age of 90, following complications from surgery.
Lassally lived outside the city of Chania, near Stavros Beach, where the movie’s final scene with actors Anthony Quinn and Alan Bates dancing to the music of Zorba the Greek, were filmed.
Lassally moved to London as a young boy and was a refugee from Nazi Germany. He worked on many movies, including the British comedy Tom Jones in 1963 and the drama Heat and Dust.
Lassally and his wife loved Chania and decided to live there from the early 1990’s and although his wife passed away in 1994, Lassally continued to live there.
Lassally was a much loved local in the Cretan community and the Mayor of Chania, Tassos Vamvoukas has expressed “deep sadness” at Lassally’s death.