in full Michael Leigh
born Feb. 20, 1943, Salford, Lancashire, Eng.
British film director and playwright.
His first play, The Box Play (1965), began the process of improvisation and collaboration with his actors that became the basis of his works for stage, television, and film, which usually depict lower-and working-class life with sharp humour and pathos. He made his film debut with Bleak Moments (1971) and later directed offbeat movies such as High Hopes (1988), Life Is Sweet (1991), and Naked (1993), for which he won best director at the Cannes Film Festival. The internationally acclaimed Secrets and Lies (1996) was followed by Career Girls (1997), Topsy-Turvy (1999), and All or Nothing (2002).