PARIS, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Noted French movie director Claude Berri has died in a Paris hospital, President Nicolas Sarkozy said Monday. He was 74.
The magazine Paris Match quoted a hospital statement saying Berri died of a cerebral hemorrhage, CNN reported.
In a statement, Sarkozy called Berri "the most legendary figure in French cinema" and "one of the most gifted directors and producers of his generation. All those who knew or approached him are in mourning."
Critics say Berri is best known for his 1986 movies "Jean de Florette" and "Manon of the Spring," both about a star-crossed French family, CNN reported.
Berri won a U.S. Academy Award for directing the 1965 short film "Le Poulet," and also produced "Tess," which won an Oscar for director Roman Polanski in 1979, the broadcaster said.
