Vasil Gendov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vasil Gendov
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| Born |
Vasil Dimov Hadzhigendov (Васил Димов Хаджигендов)
24 November 1891 Sliven, Bulgaria
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| Died | 3 September 1970 (aged 78) |
| Other names | Vassil Gendov |
| Occupation | Actor, film director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1910–1937 |
| Spouse(s) | Ivana Ivanova "Zhana" Gendova |
Vasil Gendov was a very important person in the history of Bulgarian movies and theater. He was an actor, a film director, and a writer for films. Gendov made history by writing, directing, and starring in Bulgaria's very first full-length movie. This was the silent comedy Bulgaran is Gallant, released in 1915. He also created Bulgaria's first movie with sound, called The Slave's Revolt, in 1933.
Contents
Who Was Vasil Gendov?
Early Life and Training
Vasil Gendov was born in a city called Sliven in Bulgaria. When he was young, between 1905 and 1907, he studied acting in Sofia. He learned at famous places like the Tears and Laughter Theatre and the Ivan Vazov National Theatre. His first time acting on stage was in a play called The Educators.
After his studies in Sofia, Gendov went to Vienna to learn more about theater. Then, he traveled to Berlin to study filmmaking. After that, he joined a group of actors led by a famous Bulgarian actress named Roza Popova. They traveled and performed plays together.
Bulgaria's First Films
Making Bulgaran is Gallant
In January 1915, something exciting happened in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. The country's first full-length movie was shown! This film was called Bulgaran is Gallant. Vasil Gendov was the one who wrote the story, directed the movie, and also played the main character.
Bulgaran is Gallant was a funny movie, a light comedy. People even compared Gendov's acting to a famous French actor named Max Linder. Sadly, most of this important film was lost during World War II bombings in Sofia in 1944. Only a tiny part of it remains today. Between 1915 and 1937, Gendov was very busy. He wrote, produced, and acted in eleven movies, making him one of the most active filmmakers in Bulgaria during that time.
Creating the First Sound Film
Vasil Gendov also started the first Bulgarian film production company, called Yantra Film. In 1933, he made another big step forward. He wrote, directed, and starred in Bulgaria's very first movie with sound. This film was named The Slave's Revolt.
Gendov's wife, Zhana Gendova, also acted in this movie, just like she did in most of his other films. The Slave's Revolt told the story of Bulgaria's fight for freedom from the Ottoman Empire. In the movie, Gendov played Vasil Levski, a real-life hero who led a big uprising in 1873.
Why Was The Slave's Revolt Controversial?
The Slave's Revolt caused some discussion. The Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs said the movie showed "imagined tyranny" that Bulgarians supposedly faced under Turkish rule. They felt it would "offend" their nation and encourage bad feelings.
The Turkish government asked Bulgaria why they allowed such a film. But the Bulgarian government defended the movie. They said that since the events in the film were about the old Ottoman period, it wasn't against the new Turkish government or nation.
Vasil Gendov's Lasting Impact
Building Film Organizations
Vasil Gendov didn't just make movies; he helped build the film industry itself. He helped start the first Union of Actors in Bulgaria around 1919–1920. Later, in 1931, he helped create the Union of Filmmakers. In 1948, he even started the Museum of Bulgarian Cinematography.
After World War II, Bulgaria became a socialist country. The government took control of the film industry. Because of this, Gendov had to stop making films earlier than he might have wanted.
Preserving Film History
Even though he couldn't make new movies, Gendov took on a very important job. He started creating the state film archives. This collection grew into what is now the Bulgarian National Film Archive. Gendov worked hard to gather films made by his fellow filmmakers. He also collected movie posters and news articles about the Bulgarian film industry. His efforts helped save many important pieces of Bulgarian film history.
Remembering a Pioneer
Vasil Gendov lived the rest of his life in Sofia and passed away in 1970. On January 15, 2015, exactly 100 years after Bulgaran is Gallant was released, the Bulgarian National Film Archive held a special event. They had a celebration and an exhibition at the Odeon Cinema in Sofia to honor him.
In 2015, a Bulgarian filmmaker named Iliya Kostov made a documentary about Gendov. It was called Vasil Gendov - Myth and Reality. This film looked at Gendov's career and his personal life. It also showed how his work fit into the social and political changes happening in Bulgaria and Europe during the early 1900s. The documentary was shown at a film festival in Plovdiv in December 2015.
