Athens, Greece—Manousos Manousakis, the director behind some of Greece's most successful television dramas, has died at the age of 74.
Sources report that he had been hospitalized at Ygeia Hospital in recent days due to a serious health issue.
Born in Athens in 1950, Manousakis studied directing at the London Film School. Upon returning to Greece in the early 1970s, he began his career in cinema. One of his earliest works, the 1973 film Bartholomew, saw him take on the triple role of writer, director, and producer.
The film received a special mention at the San Remo Film Festival in 1973 but was banned in Greece by the then-ruling military junta. Bartholomew was screened in a Thessaloniki cinema despite the ban, with a police officer at the entrance. The cast was comprised almost entirely of residents of Chiliomodi, Corinth.
Manousakis continued to work in film, directing The Rulers in 1978 and The Scarecrow in 1985. He also acted in Bayonet Them! This is How We'll Take Kouradokastro and The Song of Return.
In the mid-1980s, he transitioned to television, directing series such as Goblin Works (1985-1986), Miniatures (1986-1987), and Their Best Years (1989).
Manousakis became a prominent figure in Greek television in the early 1990s, directing and producing numerous drama series, often centred on forbidden love.
His productions, including Whispers of the Heart, Touch of the Soul, Don't Say Goodbye to Me, and Love Came From Afar, are among the most successful in Greek television history.
His film credits include Receive Your Appointment (1996), Red Dragon (1998), and Ouzeri Tsitsanis (2015).