Rangel Valchanov (1928-2013)

Rangel Valchanov is a film director, who left a lasting trace in Bulgarian cinema. He was born on October 12, 1928 in the village of Krivina near Sofia. He is the only graduate of theater directing in the class of prof. Boyan Danovski in the State Higher Theatre School (now the National Academy for theatrical and movie arts) without having a completed secondary education. As a student he had to work in a leather factory. Because of his long rheumatism illness he fails to graduate secondary school. Until his directorial debut he stars as an actor in seven films. At the beginning of his career he works with writers like Valery Petrov - "On a Small Island" (1958), "The First Lesson" (1960) and "Sun and Shadow" (1962) and Bogomil Raynov - "The Inspector and the Night" (1963). He is a member of the European Film Academy and a popular artist. From 1970 to 1972 he lived in Czechoslovakia, where he films "A person under the mask" and "Chance." Then again in Bulgaria continues to surprise the audience with his unconventional decisions "Detective and the Forest", "Patent Leather Shoes of the Unknown Soldier," "Where are you traveling?", "Where to now?". In 1999 he was honored with the "Stara Planina" . In July 2006 he begins work on a sequel to the movie "Where to now?" Entitled "Which Way Today?". He was elected filmmaker number 1 in Bulgaria for the 20 th century. On October 9, 2012 he was elected full member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Rangel Valchanov died on September 30, 2013. (Photo: www.24chasa.bg)