British director Alan Parker, who directed Midnight Express, Bugsy Malone or Fame, died Friday at the age of 76, his family said. Born in London on February 14, 1944, Alan Parker, whose filmography also includes Mississippi Burning, Avoid and The Commitments, succumbed to a “long illness”, according to a spokesperson appointed by her family.
Alan Parker had started his career in advertising. In 1975 he made his first feature film, Bugsy Malone, a musical parody of 1930s gangster movies, performed by children. His second film, Midnight Express (1978), a plunge into the ordeal of a young American incarcerated in a Turkish prison after attempting to leave Turkey with hashish, won two Oscars, six Golden Globes and four Baftas.
He realized in 1981 Pink Floyd – The Wall, a film that has become a cult following among the fans of this British rock group. His last great success dates back to 1996 with Avoid, a musical film in which Madonna plays the actress and Argentine politician Eva Peron.
A “chameleon” and an “extraordinary talent”
In total, his works have won 19 Baftas, 10 Golden Globes and 10 Oscars. The Academy Awards tweeted a “chameleon,” an “extraordinary talent” who “will be sorely missed.”
From “Fame” to “Midnight Express,” two-time Oscar nominee Alan Parker was a chameleon. His work entertained us, connected us, and gave us such a strong sense of time and place. An extraordinary talent, he will be greatly missed. pic.twitter.com/OxZPBxTE8F
– The Academy (@TheAcademy) July 31, 2020
Former President of the Cannes Film Festival Gilles Jacob praised a filmmaker “lively, brilliant, prolific” and a “sarcastic spirit”. David Puttman, who produced several of Alan Parker’s films, paid tribute to the man who was his “oldest and closest friend” and who “always impressed him with his talent”. “My life and that of many other people who loved and respected him will never be the same again,” he added. Alan Parker leaves behind his wife Lisa Moran-Parker, five children and seven grandchildren.
–
