Romanian director, writer Dinu Cocea dead at 84

Romanian director and writer Dinu Cocea, who made popular historical adventure movies before being forced into exile by the Communists, has died, his daughter said. He was 84.
Cocea died of heart failure in a hospital in Paris on Thursday, daughter Oana Cocea was quoted by Mediafax as saying yesterday.
Born into a well-known theatrical family, he debuted with "the Outlaws" in 1966 and made 15 movies in Romania. However, he had to emigrate to Paris in 1986 after he angered Communist censors with a script about a dam that was plagued by corruption.
He said in interviews that Romanian officials never forgave him. Returning after the 1989 revolution with plans to make a movie, he said he was asked to come up with one million dollars, and the next day the sum was doubled.

The American Academy of Film gave him an award in 2000 for his work.