Victor Iliu

Director
Born: 24.11.1912 in Râu Sadului (Sibiu County)
Died: 04.09.1968 in Rome (Italy)

Graduate of the Bucharest Commercial Academy. In 1936,he started writing film reviews.From 1941, he worked as camera assistant and director assistant to TV news programs. He also worked as technical advisor, editor and director for news programs within the National Cinematography Office. (1944-1948). He was sent to Moscow for a training stage, benefitting from the support of the director Serghei Eisenstein. Afterwards, he began making documentaries – Anul 1848 (The Year 1848) (in 1948) and Scrisoarea lui Ion Marin către Scânteia (The Letter Sent by Ion Marin to Scânteia Newspaper) (in 1949). In 1950, he is appointed manager of the Bucharest Cinematographic Art Institute, where he taught directing classes. He was also the artistic director of the Bucharest Cinematographic Studio (1966-1967).

Trivia

The film La Moara cu noroc (The Mill of Good Luck) ranks 7th in the ”Top 10 Best Romanian Movies of All Time”, published in 2008 and ranked by 40 film reviewers.
In 1964,he was awarded the title of Emeritus Artist of the Popular Republic of Romania, granted by Decree of the State Council.
On the credit titles of the film Reconstituirea (Reconstruction), Lucian Pintilie wrote: „To Victor Iliu. In memoriam”.
In 1973, the anthology „Victor Iliu – Fascination with Cinema” is published, edited by Bianca Sofia Iliu and George Littera (Meridiane Publishing House, 236 pages).
Director Nicolae Cabel is the exegete of Victor Iliu's work and the author of several volumes: „Victor Iliu” (Meridiane Publishing House, 1997), „Victor Iliu, the Smile of Resistance” (INTACT Publishing House, 2011), „Victor Iliu, To Draw Time” (INTACT Publishing House, 2012), „Victor Iliu. Fuga Temporum (The Passage of Time)” (Noi Media Print Publishing House, 2013).
Also at the initiative of Nicolae Cabel, sculptor Paul Deheleanu made the bust of the filmmaker, which was unveiled at the headquarters of the Filmmakers' Union on the anniversary of 100 years since Victor Iliu's birth.

Opinions on Victor Iliu
„Maybe I am not too wrong in characterising Iliu first of all as a cerebral: his emotions were not only censored by reason, they seemed more of a product of the latter”. (Liviu Ciulei)
„His work renders a feeling of strength, but those who „X-ray” it carefully are able to feel that the hard edges are trembling under an immensely fragile gleam of light. Right from the heart of a cloudy conflict, a bitter-sweet ray shimmers towards us. This light is undoubtedly the artist's ownbreathing”. (Ecaterina Oproiu)

Victor Iliu on editing
„Editing cannot be (...) an abstract complex of cadences and rhythms,a universal «tempo» to be applied with indifference to anycinematographic material. Editing must express the unique, singular life of the film (1941)”. (Foarfecele poetic (The Poetic Scissors) - Noul Cinema (New Cinema), issue no. 5/1991)

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