Director and filmmaker Eugenio Zanetti has passed away at 79.

Zanetti was born on Oct. 19, 1946 in Argentina. He worked as a dramatist, painter, film set designer, and theater and opera director. Early in his career, Zanetti was part of the production team for Pier Paolo Pasolini’s “Medea,” starring Maria Callas.

His opera productions include Verdi’s “Nabucco,” Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” and “Tosca,” and Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann.” For his work in film, Zanetti received an Academy Award and an Oscar. His art has been featured in exhibits in Los Angeles, Rome, Córdoba, Buenos Aires, Seville, and others.

Zanetti passed away on Sept. 18, during rehearsals for a production of “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. At this time, no cause of death has been made public.