An exhibition of documentary photographs capturing moments from the life and career of director Emil Loteanu has opened at the Chisinau City History Museum. The opening was accompanied by a roundtable discussion at which former colleagues and cultural figures reflected on the filmmaker’s life and work. Loteanu would have turned 90 on November 6, IPN reports.

Actress and educator Zinaida Timofti described Emil Loteanu as a legend of national and international cinema. She noted that the director had discovered and launched the careers of hundreds of actors, helping them gain recognition.

For his part, poet and journalist Alexandru Corduneanu highlighted Emil Loteanu’s role in bringing the generation of the 1960s to prominence—a generation that helped revive Romanian culture in Bessarabia at a time when it was deeply affected by Soviet ideology. According to Corduneanu, Loteanu’s films brought characters and images from a once-marginalized world back to the screen.

Director Valentina Plugaru, who spent nearly two years working on the film “Lăutarii,” recalled the director’s discipline and exacting standards, as well as the dedication of the entire crew. She noted that filming required meticulous preparation, and that crew members had to learn on the job, as many had no prior experience in filmmaking.

Participants also highlighted the need to raise awareness of national cinema among the younger generation. One proposal put forward during the discussions was to produce regular television programmes devoted to directors, actors and other cultural figures, featuring excerpts from their work accompanied by commentary.

Emil Loteanu was born on November 6, 1936, in the village of Clocușna, then in Hotin County and now part of Ocnița District. He became known for films such as “Red Meadows,” “The Fiddlers,” and “Queen of the Gypsies.” The director passed away on April 18, 2003.