Ion Popescu Gopo, a famous Romanian cartoon creator, never got to see the new wave of cinema in Romania.

He died in 1989, at 66, just before the fall of Communism.

But he stays in the memory of Romanians for his cartoon character, nicknamed Gopo's little man, which got him several international prizes.

One of his animations was awarded at Cannes in 1957. He is also the director of a famous children's film, Maria Mirabela, from 1981.

The local film awards are called the Gopo awards in his honor. The name Gopo was in fact a pseudonym, based on his mother's maiden name Gorenco, and on his father's name Popescu.

photo source: cinemarx.ro