Paul Barbăneagră

Paul Barbă Neagră (or Barbăneagră) (11 February 1929 – 13 October 2009) was a Romanian film director and writer who, starting in 1957, has directed short and medium-length documentaries on topics related to culture and the arts. In 1964, he defected and settled in France, where he also worked in the media (for France 2, France 3, and Radio Free Europe). Born in Isaccea, he studied medicine and cinematography in Bucharest, graduating from the I. L. Caragiale Institute for Theater and Film Arts. Between 1957 and 1964, he worked for the film studios of Communist Romania, and, during a visit to Tours (where he was attending the local film festival), sought political asylum.

He was awarded a first prize for the scenario of his film Versailles Palais-Temple du Roi Soleil ("Palace of Versailles, Temple of the Sun King") at the Festival International du Film d'Art (International Festival for Art Films). The film was the first in his series Architecture et Géographie sacrée ("Sacred Architecture and Geography"). To the same series belongs the documentary Mircea Eliade et la Redécouverte du Sacré ("Mircea Eliade and the Rediscovery of the Sacred").

In 1990, he was awarded The French Grand Prix for Audiovisual Arts for his entire activity.In 2004, he published with Félix Schwarz Symbolique de Paris: Paris sacré, Paris mythique (Les Éditions du Huitième Jour, 2004).