Legendary Italian Film Director Ermano Olmi Dies At 86

Legendary Italian Director, Known For Tree Of Wooden Clogs And Palme d'Or Winner, Ermanno Olmi

• Italian film director Ermanno Olmi pa s sed away at 86.
• Olmi was best known for winning the prestigious Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1978 for his drama The Tree of Wooden Clogs.
• The director took his last breath in a hospital in Asiago in late Sunday night.
• Italy's Minister of Culture, Dario Franceschini announced the sad news on Monday describing the director as ''a giant.''

Famous Italian film director and screenwriter Ermanno Olmi has pa s sed away at 86. Olmi died late Sunday night at a hospital in Asiago, near Vincenza after being admitted on Friday.

The actual cause of his death is yet to be revealed but he had reportedly been ill for some time before he took his last breath.

Italy's Culture Minister, Dario Franceschini announced the heartbreaking news Monday morning describing the director as ''a great master of Italian cinema.'' He added that his death was a ''great loss to Italian culture.''

Olmi who was born in 1931 and learned acting at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and focused his early work on doc u mentaries. He made his film debut in 1959 with Time Stood Still.  His breakthrough work came in 1961 with a drama II Posto which also won him the best director prize at Italy's David di Donatello Awards.

The director is survived by his wife Loredana Detto and three children; Fabio, Elisabetta, and Andrea.