‘Chariots of Fire’ director Hugh Hudson dies

Hugh Hudson, British director of the 1981 hit film “Chariots of Fire”, died Friday at the age of 86, his family said.

“Hugh Hudson, 86, beloved husband and father died at Charing Cross Hospital on February 10 2023 after a short illness,” his family said in a statement.

Born in August 1936 in London, Hudson had a meteoric rise to success with “Chariots of Fire”, which tells the story of two British athletes, including Harold Abrahams, a young Jewish man who was plagued by anti-Semitism in his quest for Olympic gold in 1924.

The film picked up four Oscars, including for best film. It is also remembered for the soundtrack by Greek composer Vangelis, who died last year.

In a 2012 interview with the Guardian newspaper, Hudson said he thought film producer David Putnam had chosen him to direct the film “because he sensed I’d relate to the themes of class and racial prejudice.