Departed Moldovan poet, cinema man would have turned 85

Chisinau, 1 May /MOLDPRES/ - Poet and director of documentary films, holder of the Order of the Republic, laureate of State Prize, honorary member of Moldova’s Academy of Sciences (ASM) Anatol Codru would have turned 85 years today.    

According to academician Mihai Cimpoi, Anatol Codru was seeker of formulas and an innovator of the poetic language. His works is revolutionary and hard to be mistaken with the ones of other writers.

Anatol Codru was born in the Molovata Noua village, eastern Dubasari district, on 1 May 1936. After finishing the primary school in his native village, Codru studied at the secondary school from the Dubasari town, then - at the Faculty of Letters of the Chisinau-based State University (1958-1963). Afterwards, he attended courses of film direction in Moscow (1969-1971).

He was editor at the Cartea Moldovenească publishing house. Starting from 1971, the writer worked as film director at the Moldova-film studio. In 1968, Codru made first first documentary, Wrestling, which was awarded the Prize I for film direction at the Minsk Festival. He made 30 documentary films.      

Some of his films are about the lives of great personalities, such as Mihai Eminescu, Vasile Alecsandri, Ion Creanga, Dimitrie Cantemir, Sculptor Alexandru Plamadeala, Architect Alexei Sciusev, etc.    

Anatol Codru is honorary citizen of the Braila city, Romania. He was head of the Union of Cinema Men from Moldova, member of the Writers’ Union of Romania, honorary member of the Nika International Film Academy from Russia, Doctor Honoris Causa of the International Academy of Economic Law and Film Art. In 1987, Codru was awarded the Master in Art honorific title. The Union of Cinema Men from Romania awarded him the academic distinction Clacheta de aur (The Golden Marker) and the Medal, Magna cum laude. He is laureate of the State Prize of Moldova (1991). Anatol Codru died in Chisinau on 17 August 2010.