LIVIU CIULEI

Born in 7 July 1923 in Bucharest, Liviu Ciulei was a theatre and film director, actor, production and costume designer. He studied theatre and architecture and in 1946 he began working as a set and costume designer.

In 1951, Ciulei acted in his first film, In sat la noi /In Our Village and in1957 he made his directorial debut with the film Eruptia/The Eruption. In the same year he directed his first stage production The Rainmaker by Richard Nash.

Although Liviu Ciulei only made three films, he became renowned as a director of psychological dramas.

He was the recipient of the Directors' Award at the1965 Cannes Film Festival for Padurea Sapnzuratilor/The Forest of the Hanged, the film version of the Liviu Rebreanu’s eponymous novel (where he also starred in the role of Klapka).

“The most beautiful scene I have ever directed in my career is the last scene of Padurea Sapnzuratilor/The Forest of the Hanged “ he said. “We see a young peasant woman preparing the last meal for the man she loves who is sentenced to death by hanging — a man, a woman, bread, salt and wine, love, life and death.”

After 1965, Ciulei turned his interests toward the stage and established an international reputation for the excellence of his productions. During a career spanning over 50 years, he was described by Newsweek as "one of the boldest and most challenging figures on the international scene".