Soviet and Moldovan film director, screenwriter, and film theorist Boris Konunov died on Friday, Aug. 7, at age 79, according to the Ministry of Culture of Moldova. The ministry announced his death on its Facebook page and expressed condolences to his family, students, and everyone who knew and valued him.
The ministry said in a press release that his films and his contribution to shaping new generations of filmmakers will remain part of the cultural and cinematic heritage of the Republic of Moldova.
Career and major films
Konunov was born on May 24, 1947, in Tashkent to a family of a translator and a doctor of chemical sciences. In the early 1970s, he graduated from the film studies department of VGIK and began his professional work as an assistant director and second director at the Moldova-Film studio.
He participated in creating the films Dmitry Kantemir and Longitude of the Day. He went on to direct The Forest You Will Never Enter, Preparation for the Exam, A Small Favor, and You've Got a Telegram.
The film You've Got a Telegram follows Anna, played by Tatyana Dogileva, a telegram delivery woman whose marriage has reached a dead end. On the eve of a holiday, she receives an unusual telegram from a school acquaintance declaring his love and proposing to start life anew.
In addition to directing, Konunov worked as a teacher. He was a member of the National Film Center of Moldova until 2021 and contributed to the development of cinema in the republic.
