Phil Collins, an English drummer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and actor, best known as the drummer/singer of the rock band Genesis and for his solo career. Between 1982 and 1989, Collins scored three UK and seven US number-one singles in his solo career

Philip David Charles Collins LVO (born 30 January 1951) is an English drummer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and actor, best known as the drummer/singer of the rock band Genesis and for his solo career. Between 1982 and 1989, Collins scored three UK and seven US number-one singles in his solo career. When his work with Genesis, his work with other artists, as well as his solo career is totalled, he had more US Top 40 singles than any other artist during the 1980s.^[8] His most successful singles from the period include "In the Air Tonight", "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)", "One More Night", "Sussudio", "Two Hearts" and "Another Day in Paradise".
Born and raised in west London, Collins played drums from the age of five and completed drama school training, which secured him various roles as a child actor. He then pursued a music career, joining Genesis in 1970 as their drummer and becoming lead singer in 1975 following the departure of Peter Gabriel. Collins began a solo career in the 1980s, initially inspired by his marital breakdown and love of soul music, releasing a series of successful albums, including Face Value (1No Jacket Required (1985), and ...But Seriously (1989). Collins became "one of the most successful pop and adult contemporary singers of the '80s and beyond".^[9][10] He also became known for a distinctive gated reverb drum sound on many of his recordings.^[11] In 1996, Collins left Genesis to focus on solo work; this included writing songs for Disney’s Tarzan (1999) for which he received an Oscar for Best Original Song for “You'll Be in My Heart”. He rejoined Genesis for their Turn It On Again Tour in 2007. Following a five-year retirement to focus on his family life,^[12][13] Collins released an autobiography in 2016 and completed his Not Dead Yet Tour in 2019.
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Collins's discography includes eight studio albums that have sold 33.5 million certified units in the US and an estimated 150 million worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling artists.^[14] He is one of only three recording artists, along with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson, who have sold over 100 million records worldwide both as solo artists and separately as principal members of a band.^[15][16] He has received eight Grammy Awards, six Brit Awards (winning Best British Male Artist three times), two Golden Globe Awards, one Academy Award, and a Disney Legend Award.^[17] He was awarded six Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, including the International Achievement Award. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010. He has also been recognised by music publications with induction into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2012, and the Classic Drummer Hall of Fame in 2013

David Piper, a British former Formula One and sports car racing driver from England

David Piper (born 2 December 1930)^[1] is a British former Formula One and sports car racing driver from England. He participated in 3 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 18 July 1959. He scored no championship points.

Early career and Formula One

Piper was born in Edgware, Middlesex^[1] and began his career in the mid-1950s by competing in sprints and hill-climbs, before beginning circuit racing with a Lotus Eleven.^[2] He then moved up to a Lotus 16 which he used in 1959 and 1960 to compete in both Formula One and Formula Two,^[2] by means of changing engines as appropriate.^[2] His best result with the car was a second place in the Lady Wigram Trophy, in 1960, behind Jack Brabham in a Cooper.^[2]

In 1961, Piper competed in European Formula Junior alongside Jo Siffert but drove the Gilby F1 car in the Gold Cup.^[2] He also competed in non-championship races in 1962, but had become disenchanted with single-seater racing and moved into sports car racing initially with a Ferrari GTO.^[2]

Between 1962 and 1970, Piper raced frequently in many locations worldwide using his personally owned Ferraris and, later, Porsches. He was moderately successful and gained a reputation for reliability and consistency.^[2]
Piper crashed a Porsche 917 during the 1970 shooting of the film Le Mans and lost part of one leg.^[3]
Piper later raced his personal, green, Porsche 917 and other cars in historic events.

Dumitru Prunariu, a Romanian cosmonaut. He flew in space aboard Soyuz 40 spacecraft and Salyut 6 space laboratory

Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu (born 27 September 1952) is a Romanian cosmonaut. He flew in space aboard Soyuz 40 spacecraft and Salyut 6 space laboratory. He was in team with the Russian cosmonaut Leonid Popov. The backup crew was formed by the Romanian candidate cosmonaut called Dumitru Dediu and the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Romanenko.^[1]
Also Disney Romania chooses the cosmonaut to dubbed BURN-E in the Disney Pixar short.

Early life and career

Born on 27 September 1952 in Braşov, Romania, Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu graduated in 1971 from the Physics and Mathematics high school in Braşov and in 1976 from the Politehnica University of Bucharest, obtaining a degree in Aerospace Engineering.
Prunariu worked as a Diploma Engineer at Industria Aeronautică Română, an aircraft industry facility, prior to enrolling in the Romanian Air Force Officers Training School in 1977.

Intercosmos program

He was selected for spaceflight training in 1978 as a part of the Intercosmos Program. Having obtained the highest marks during three years of preparation, he was then selected for a joint space flight with the Russian cosmonaut Leonid Popov. In May 1981 they completed an eight-day space mission on board Soyuz 40 and the Salyut 6 space laboratory where they completed scientific experiments in the fields of astrophysics, space radiation, space technology, space medicine and biology.
Prunariu is the 103rd human being to fly into space.

Career after Intercosmos

 

Since 1978 Prunariu was an active officer of the Romanian Air Force. For different periods of time Prunariu was detached within other ministries to perform civil functions. In 2007 he completely retired from the Air Force with the military rank of major general, continuing his professional activity as a civil servant. At the end of 2015, by a decree of the President of Romania, Prunariu received the 3rd star, becoming a lieutenant-general (ret.).
In January 1990 Prunariu was assigned the position of Deputy Minister to the Ministry of Transportation and Chief of the Romanian Civil Aviation Department, exercising this position for 1.5 years. In 1991 Prunariu graduated from the International Aviation Management Training Institute (IAMTI/IIFGA) located in Montreal, Canada – being after 1989 the first Romanian accomplishing a two-month training for higher managers of civil aviation institutions.
Between 1992 and 1993 Prunariu was a Co-leader of the World Bank Project on reorganization of the higher education and research system in Romania.

Since 1995 Prunariu is the Vice-President of the International Institute for Risk, Security and Communication Management (EURISC), Bucharest. Between 1998 and 2004 Prunariu was the President of the Romanian Space Agency, and since 2000 an Associate Professor on Geopolitics within the Faculty of International Business and Economics, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania. For almost two years, starting with May 2004, he was the itinerary Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to the Russian Federation.
In 2002 Prunariu was elected as the Chairman of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the UN COPUOS for the period February 2004 – February 2006, and in 2009 he was elected the Chairman of the UN COPUOS for the period of June 2010 – June 2012, accomplishing successfully his duties. Between 2006 and 2008 Prunariu accomplished the duties of the Director of the Romanian Office for Science and Technology to the European Commission (ROST) in Brussels.
Currently, Prunariu is working for the Romanian Space Agency as an expert within the Romanian Association for Space Technology and Industry – ROMSPACE.
In 2012 Prunariu was appointed as one of the 15 experts of the Group of Governmental Experts on outer space transparency and confidence-building measures, established by the UN General Assembly Resolution 65/68. Since 1992 Prunariu is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics, being one of the trustees of the Academy, and since 1994 a member of the Romanian National COSPAR Committee. Since 1992 he has represented the Government of Romania to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) sessions. In 2014 Prunariu was elected for a three years term as the vice-chairman of the International Relations Committee of ESA.
Prunariu was also a member of the task force elaborating a report on Space Security for Europe in the framework of the European Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), issued in 2016.

 

Sir Roderick David Stewart, a British rock singer and songwriter

Sir Roderick David Stewart, CBE (born 10 January 1945)^[1] is a British rock singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. Stewart is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold over 120 million records worldwide.^[2] He has had nine number-one albums in the UK Albums Chart and his tally of 62 UK hit singles includes 31 that reached the top ten, six of which gained the #1 position.^[3] Stewart has had 16 top ten singles in the US, with four reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. He was knighted in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to music and charity.^[4]
With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart came to prominence in the late 1960s and the early 1970s with The Jeff Beck Group, and then with Faces, though his music career had begun in 1962 when he took up busking with a harmonica. In October 1963, he joined The Dimensions as a harmonica player and part-time vocalist. In 1964, Stewart joined Long John Baldry and the All Stars, and in August, Stewart signed a solo contract, releasing his first single, "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl", in October. He maintained a solo career alongside a group career, releasing his debut solo album, An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down in 1969. Stewart's early albums were a fusion of rock, folk music, soul music, and R&B.^[5][6]
From the late 1970s through the 1990s, Stewart's music often took on a new wave or soft rock/middle-of-the-road quality, and in the early 2000s, he released a series of successful albums interpreting the Great American Songbook. In 1994, Stewart staged the largest free rock concert in history when he performed in front of 3.5 million people in Rio de Janeiro.^[7]
In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked him the 17th most successful artist on the "Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists".^[8] A Grammy and Brit Award recipient, he was voted at #33 in Q Magazine's list of the Top 100 Greatest Singers of all time,^[9] and #59 on Rolling Stone 100 Greatest Singers of all time.^[10] As a solo artist, Stewart was inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and was inducted a second time into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of Faces.

Bajaga i Instruktori, a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band

Bajaga i Instruktori (Serbian Cyrillic: Бајага и Инструктори; trans. Bajaga and the Instructors) are a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band. Founded in Belgrade in 1984 by composer, lyricist and guitarist Momčilo Bajagić "Bajaga", the group possesses a rich discography and a plethora of hit songs that placed them at the top of the former Yugoslav rock scene, alongside other mega-selling bands such as Bijelo Dugme and Riblja Čorba.

The band's history begins in 1983. At the time Momčilo Bajagić "Bajaga" was the guitarist for the hard rock band Riblja Čorba. During his work with Riblja Čorba, Bajagić wrote music and both music and lyrics for several Riblja Čorba hits, but also wrote a large number of humorous pop-oriented songs that did not fit into Riblja Čorba's sound. He decided to release these songs on a solo album, and he started working on the album with a group of Belgrade musicians: vocalist Dejan Cukić (a former Dizel, Tilt, and Bulevar member, and at the time a journalist working in the magazine Rock), bass guitarist Miroslav Cvetković "Cvele" (a former Tilt, Pop Mašina, and Papatra member), guitarist Nenad Stamatović (a former Tilt, Zebra, Suncokret, and Bulevar member), and drummer Vladimir Golubović (a former Tilt and Suncokret member, at the time temporarily replacing Vicko Milatović in Riblja Čorba).

During the work on the album, Bajagić wanted only to record a large number of songs he wrote on an album and to remain a member of Riblja Čorba. The songs for the album were recorded in a rented apartment and in Radio Television Belgrade Studio V and produced by Kornelije Kovač.^[1] The album, beside mentioned musicians, featured Nenad Stefanović "Japanac" on bass guitar, a former Generacija 5 member Dragan "Krle" Jovanović on guitar, Kire Mitrev on trombone, Ivan Švager on clarinet, and Suzana Petričević on vocals in the song "Papaline" ("Sprats").^[1] The album, entitled Pozitivna geografija (Positive Geography) was released at the end of January 1984 and was well received by the audience, bringing hits "Berlin", "Mali slonovi" ("Little Elephants"), "Poljubi me" ("Kiss Me"), "Limene trube" ("Brass Trumpets"), "Tekila gerila" ("Tequila Guerrilla"), "Marlena", and "Tamara". The album also featured the anti-drug song "Znam čoveka" ("I Know a Man"), dedicated to Dragan Đerić "Đera", Bajagić's former bandmate from the bands Ofi and Glogov Kolac. Initially, Bajagić had no intention of promoting Pozitivna geografija in concert, but eventually decided to listen to the advice of some and hold several concerts. Bajagić and musicians working on the album held their first concert in Zagreb club Kulušić on April 12, 1984.^[2] Beside the musicians that worked on the album, the concert also featured vocalist Žika Milenković (Bajagić's former bandmate from the band Ofi, and a former Mačori member and an actor in the amateur theatre Teatar levo), keyboardist Dragan Mitrić (a former Bulevar member) and Kornelije Kovač, Milenković soon becoming an official member of the band.^[3] During their staying in Zagreb Bajagić and Cukić appeared as guests on the recording of Parni Valjak album Uhvati ritam, singing backing vocals on the title track,^[4] which was the sign of gratitude to Parni Valjak for lending them a piece of drum kit for their first concert. The band held the official album promotion, organized by the Rock magazine, in Belgrade Dom Sindikata on April 21, and on this concert the band appeared under the name Bajaga i Instruktori, chosen after the idea of the journalist Peca Popović, for the first time. The concert featured Valentino and Bezobrazno Zeleno as the opening bands. The concert was well visited (mostly by teenagers) and the band's performance was well received.
The success of Bajagić's solo album caused conflicts inside Riblja Čorba, and on July 19, 1984, he was excluded from the band. During that summer Bajaga i Instruktori went on a tour, with Rade Radivojević on keyboards, playing mostly at youth work actions. At the end of the year, in the Rock magazine, Bajagić was proclaimed the Rock Musician of the Year, and Pozitivna geografija was voted the Album of the Year by musicians. At the beginning of 1985, the band recorded the album Sa druge strane jastuka (On the Other Side of the Pillow), produced by Kornelije Kovač and Saša Habić. The album featured a large number of guests: Branko Mačić on jazz guitar, Stjepko Gut on trumpet and flugelhorn, Sava Medan on double bass, Jovan Maljoković on saxophone, Mića Marković on saxophone, Nenad Stefanović "Japanac" on bass guitar, Dragan "Krle" Jovanović on guitar, and others.^[5] The album brought hits "220 u voltima" ("220 Volt"), "Vidi šta mi je uradio od pesme, mama" (a Serbian language cover of the Melanie Safka song "Look What They've Done to My Song Ma"), "Ti se ljubiš (Na tako dobar način)" ("You Kiss (In a great Manner)"), "Dvadeseti vek" ("Twentieth Century"), and ballads "Dobro jutro, džezeri" ("Good Morning, Jazzers"), "Sa druge strane jastuka" and "Zažmuri" ("Close Your Eyes"). For the first time Milenković was an author of a song, co-writing the song "Francuska ljubavna revolucija" ("French Love Revolution") with Bajagić. At this time the band's manager became a former U Škripcu manager Saša Dragić.

Chuck Palahniuk, an American novelist and freelance journalist. He is the author of the award-winning novel Fight Club

Charles Michael Palahniuk (born February 21, 1962) is an American novelist and freelance journalist, who describes his work as transgressional fiction. He is the author of the award-winning novel Fight Club, which also was made into a popular film of the same name.
Palahniuk began writing fiction in his mid-30s. By his account, he started writing while attending workshops for writers that were hosted by Tom Spanbauer, which he attended to meet new friends. Spanbauer largely inspired Palahniuk's minimalistic writing style.

After his first novel, Invisible Monsters, was rejected by all publishers he submitted it to, he began work on his most famous novel, Fight Club.^[10] Palahniuk wrote this story in his spare time while working for Freightliner. After initially publishing it as a short story (which became chapter 6 of the novel) in the 1995 compilation Pursuit of Happiness, Palahniuk expanded it into a full novel, which, contrary to his expectations, a publisher accepted.^[11] While the original hardcover edition of the book received positive reviews and some awards, it had a short shelf life.

Initially, Palahniuk struggled to find a literary agent and went without one until after the publication of Fight Club.^[12] After he began receiving attention from 20th Century Fox, Palahniuk was signed by actor and literary agent, Edward Hibbert.^[12][13][14] Hibbert eventually guided and brokered the deal that took Fight Club to the big screen.^[12] In 1999, three years after the novel's publication, the film adaptation by director David Fincher was released. The film was a box office disappointment (although it was No. 1 at the U.S. box office in its first weekend) and critical reaction was mixed, but a cult following soon emerged as the DVD of the film became popular upon release. Three editions of the novel have been published in paperback, in 1999, in 2004 (with a new introduction by the author about the success of the film adaptation), and in 2005 (with an afterword by Palahniuk).

Palahniuk was cajoled to continue Fight Club in comics form by fellow novelist Chelsea Cain and comic writers Brian Michael Bendis, Matt Fraction and Kelly Sue DeConnick.^[15] A teaser was released by Dark Horse Comics for Free Comic Book Day 2015, with Fight Club 2 No. 1 following in late May of that year. The series explores Joseph Campbell's concept of the 'second father' as being vital to the hero's journey, which is something that has always fascinated Palahniuk.

On the Orbital in Conversation podcast, Palahniuk stated that he is already working on Fight Club 3, which will also be in comic form. He also confirmed that he is working on a series of original short stories for comics which will appear as one-shots before eventually being collected into a single book.

As an adult, Palahniuk became a member of the rebellious Cacophony Society. He is a regular participant in their events, including the annual Santa Rampage (a public Christmas party involving pranks and drunkenness) in Portland, Oregon. His participation in the Society inspired some of the events in his writings, both fictional and non-fictional.^[44] Most notably, he used the Cacophony Society as the basis for Project Mayhem in Fight Club.
In May 1999, Palahniuk's father and Donna Fontaine, a woman Fred was dating, were murdered by Fontaine's ex-partner. Palahniuk was asked to help determine the sentence for the man who killed his father; he asked for the death penalty.^[45]
Palahniuk came out as gay after an interview with Karen Valby, a reporter for Entertainment Weekly. Believing that he would be "outed" by Valby after confidentially referring to his male partner, he openly declared his homosexuality on his website.^[46] According to an interview with The Advocate in May 2008, he and his unnamed male partner live in a former church compound outside Vancouver, Washington.^[47][48] He and his partner have been together since the 1990s, having met while Palahniuk was working at Freightliner. He told one interviewer, "We both had these very blue-collar lives, and now our lives are completely different." 

Helmuth Duckadam, retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He was dubbed "the Hero of Seville" due to his display in the 1986 European Cup Final, won by his main club Steaua Bucureşti, where he saved all four penalties against Barcelona in the penalty shootout, for the first time in football history

Helmuth Robert Duckadam (born 1 April 1959) is a Romanian retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper and the current president of FC FCSB.
He was dubbed "the Hero of Seville" due to his display in the 1986 European Cup Final, won by his main club Steaua Bucureşti, where he saved all four penalties against Barcelona in the penalty shootout, for the first time in football history. He represented three other teams in a 14-year senior career.
Duckadam regularly appears as a studio guest on Digi Sport's "Fotbal Club" programme.

Born in Semlac, Arad County of Banat Swabian descent, Duckadam started playing in his regional leagues, before moving to FC UTA Arad in 1978 to become professional. He earned two full caps for Romania in 1982 and, subsequently, was signed by country giants FC Steaua Bucureşti.
capital side to two consecutive Liga I titles, was also between the posts for the 1986 European Cup final against FC Barcelona, which was played in Seville, on 7 May 1986. He saved four consecutive penalty shots in the shootout, from José Ramón Alexanko, Ángel Pedraza, Pichi Alonso and Marcos, being the first one to do so in an official European competition. Steaua won the shootout 2–0 and Europe's most important club trophy for the first time, and much of the credit for the surprise victory was given to him; he scored one goal for his main club, through a penalty kick against AFC Progresul Bucureşti in the domestic cup.^[1]


In 1986, Duckadam suffered a rare blood disorder only few weeks after the Seville performance,^[2] and would only resume his career three years later, finishing it with lowly Vagonul Arad in the second division. According to a personal interview given in 1999, he had become a major with the Romanian Border Police (Poliția de Frontieră) in his hometown; additionally, he opened a football school in the city, named after himself.^[3]
 
On 25 March 2008, Duckadam was decorated by the President of Romania, Traian Băsescu, with Ordinul "Meritul Sportiv" – ("The Sportive Merit" Order – class II), for his part in winning the 1986 European Cup. Two years later, on 11 August, he was named Steaua's president.

Valeriu Sepi, artist vizual, fost membru al formației Phoenix

Născut în 1945, în 1 noiembrie, la Reşiţa, Valeriu Sepi şi-a petrecut copilăria la Valcani, o localitate de lângă graniţa cu Iugoslavia. Este nepotul lui Graţian Sepi (II), celebru fotbalist la echipa Ripensia Timişoara şi  fost căpitan al „naţionalei” de fotbal. Valeriu însuşi a fost polisportiv, pasionat de atletism, canotaj şi box.

După ce a absolvit Politehnica din Reşiţa, şi-a îndreptat atenţia înspre arta plastică la Timişoara, unde i-a avut profesori şi mentori pe Leon Vreme, Peter Jecza sau Deliu Petroiu.

În 1968 se alătură lui Nicu Covaci şi Josef Kappl în „Phoenix” concepând afişe pentru albumele formaţiei şi cântând la percuţie pe instrumente construite de el: capre sau tobe din piele de viţel. De aici s-a ales cu supranumele de „căprarul de la Phoenix”.

În domeniul artelor vizuale, Valeriu Sepi a abordat cu succes pictura, desenul, sculptura sau designul. Aproape 25 de ani a locuit la Singapore.

Personalitatea şi talentul său i-au adus notorietate nu doar în Europa, ci şi în Asia, America de Sud sau Australia, lucrările sale aflându-se în muzee, galerii, colecţii particulare sau localuri din România, Germania, Singapore, Brazilia, Australia, Indonezia, Malaezia, Thailanda și Nepal.


EXHIBITIONS
1971 Fine Art Museum in Timisoara
1975-1985 Annual exhibitions organized in Timisoara, Lugoj, Bucuresti
1986 personal exhibition in Heidelberg, Germany in my own gallery
1987 Group exhibition in Aachen and Heidelberg / Germany
1992-1994 mural paintings in Harry’s Bar, Salvatore Pasta Fresco, G. P. Bastian, Susy Wong Bar, South Bridge Road / Singapore
1994 personal exhibition in Swee Guan gallery / Singapore
1998 personal exhibition The four elements at Art Forum Gallery
1998 Culture Color Conexions, itinerant group exhibition at: Takashimaia, Kuala Lumpur, Perth
1998 group exhibition at Oberoi Hotel, Bali, Indonezia
2000 group exhibition Various Artists – New Works, Taksu gallery, KL
2000 personal exhibition in Sun Jin Gallery / Singapore
2000 group exhibition at Arang, Taksu gallery, KL
2001 mural painting commissioned by Changi Chapel Museum, Singapore
2002 mural painting „The Last Battle” in the memory of Malaysian army, commissioned by Bukit Chandu Museum, Singapore
2003 personal exhibition at Niteroi Museum, Rio de Janeiro, Brazilia
2005 personal exhibition at TCC Singapore
2005 mural painting and ambient design at Orchard Tower, Singapore
2005 personal exhibition at Sabana Cor, Johor, Malaiezia
2006 personal exhibition Resurrection, Helios Gallery, Timișoara / Romania
2009 personal exhibition, Helios gallery, Timișoara / Romania
2013 mural painting commissioned by Chuck Wagon / Singapore
2014 personal exhibition at Garana Jazz Festival / Romania
2014 personal exhibition at Helios Gallery – Timisoara / Romania
2014 personal exhibition at “Book Sign” bookstore – Resita / Romania

OTHER ARTISTICAL ACTIVITIES

Mural decoration – Youth Center in Timisoara, together with the sculptor Peter Jecza
Mosaic at the West University in Timisoara with the artists Leon Vreme, Adalbert Luca, Sulea Gorj
1967-1986 Posters and cover design for rock and jazz bands
Scenography for the Resita Theater / Romania
Actor in Țiganiada Play written by Victor Cârcu at West University Theater, Timisoara, Romania
2099 Scenography for The Clouds by Aristofan, director: Sabin Popescu
Fine art and pedagogical activities in Nepal
1972-1973 International Politic Theatre Festival, The Mirrors play, Zagreb / Serbia
Acting in various movies with the Phoenix Band (The foreign Agent, Immortals …)
Documentary movie on my life and work Valeriu Sepi – Alone but with myself, director Florin Mândruleanu

Pedro Almodóvar, a Spanish filmmaker, director, screenwriter, producer, and former actor. He has won two Academy Awards, five British Academy Film Awards, six European Film Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, nine Goya Awards and four prizes at the Cannes Film Festival

Pedro Almodóvar Caballero (born 25 September 1949)^[1] is a Spanish filmmaker, director, screenwriter, producer, and former actor.
He came to prominence as a director and screenwriter during La Movida Madrileña, a cultural renaissance that followed after the end of Francoist Spain. His first few films characterised the sense of sexual and political freedom of the period. In 1986, he established his own film production company, El Deseo, with his younger brother Agustín Almodóvar, responsible for producing all of his films since Law of Desire (1987).
Almodóvar achieved international recognition for his black comedy-drama film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and went on to more succesromantic comedy film Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990), the melodrama High Heels (1991) and the romantic drama thriller Live Flesh (1997). His subsequent two films won an Academy Award each: All About My Mother (1999) received the award for Best Foreign Language Film while Talk to Her (2002) earned him the award for Best Original Screenplay. Almodóvar followed this with the drama Volver (2006), the romantic thriller Broken Embraces (2009), the psychological thriller The Skin I Live In (2011) and the dramas Julieta (2016) and Pain and Glory (2019), all of which were in competition for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
His films are marked by his employment of certain actors and creative personnel, complex narratives, melodrama, pop culture, popular songs, irreverent humour, strong colours, and glossy décor. Desire, passion, family, and identity are among Almodóvar's most prevalent themes.
Acclaimed as one of the most internationally successful Spanish filmmakers, Almodóvar and his films have gained worldwide interest and developed a cult following. He has won two Academy Awards, five British Academy Film Awards, six European Film Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, nine Goya Awards and four prizes at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1997, Almodóvar received the French Legion of Honour, followed by the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts by the Spanish Ministry of Culture in 1999.
He was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2001^[1] and received an honorary doctoral degree in 2009 from Harvard University^[2] in addition to an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Oxford in 2016^[3] for his contribution to the arts. In 2013, he received an honorary European Film Academy Achievement in World Cinema Award.^[4] In January 2017 he was named as President of the Jury for the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.^[5] In 2019, he was awarded the Honorary Golden Lion at the 76th Venice International Film Festival.

George Lucas, an American filmmaker and entrepreneur. Lucas is known for creating the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises

George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and entrepreneur. Lucas is known for creating the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts and Industrial Light & Magic. He was the chairman and CEO of Lucasfilm before selling it to The Walt Disney Company in 2012.^[3]
After graduating from the University of Southern California in 1967, Lucas co-founded American Zoetrope with filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. Lucas wrote and directed THX 1138 (1971), based on his earlier student short Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB, which was a critical success but a financial failure. His next work as a writer-director was the film American Graffiti (1973), inspired by his youth in early 1960s Modesto, California, and produced through the newly founded Lucasfilm. The film was critically and commercially successful, and received five Academy Award nominations including Best Picture.
Lucas' next film, the epic space opera Star Wars (1977), had a troubled production but was a surprise hit, becoming the highest-grossing film at the time, winning six Academy Awards and sparking a cultural phenomenon. Lucas produced and cowrote the sequels The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). With director Steven Spielberg, he created the Indiana Jones films Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Temple of Doom (1984), and The Last Crusade (1989). He also produced and wrote a variety of films through Lucasfilm in the 1980s and 1990s and during this same period Lucas' LucasArts developed high-impact video games, including Maniac Mansion (1987), The Secret of Monkey Island (1990) and Grim Fandango (1998) alongside many video games based on the Star Wars universe.
In 1997, Lucas rereleased the Star Wars trilogy as part of a Special Edition, featuring several alterations; home media versions with further changes were released in 2004 and 2011. He returned to directing with the Star Wars prequel trilogy, comprising The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), and Revenge of the Sith (2005). He later collaborated on served as executive producer for the war film Red Tails (2012) and wrote the CGI film Strange Magic (2015).
Lucas is one of the American film industry's most financially successful filmmakers and has been nominated for four Academy Awards. His films are among the 100 highest-grossing movies at the North American box office, adjusted for ticket-price inflation.^[4] Lucas is considered a significant figure in the New Hollywood era.

Ștefan Dobay, a Romanian football legend who played as a striker and manager. He appeared at the 1934 and 1938 World Cups as a forward and scoring a goal in each tournament

Ștefan Dobay (n. 26 septembrie 1909,^[1] Dumbrăvița[*], Dumbrăvița, Timiș, România – d. 7 aprilie 1994, Târgu Mureș, România), poreclit „Calul”, s-a născut la data de 26 septembrie 1909 în comuna timișeană Dumbrăvița. Acesta a fost ucenic la fabrica de argint, la fabrica de cărămidă și, ulterior, funcționar la arhivele municipiului Timișoara, începând fotbalul la vârsta de 10 ani în competițiile organizate pe străzi.

După o primă perioadă petrecută la Banatul Timișoara, club alături de care a devenit campion regional în 1927, Dobay ajunge la Ripensia în 1930, la numai 21 de ani. Timp de zece ani a apărat cu glorie culorile clubului, câștigând de patru ori titlul național și de două ori Cupa României alături de Ripensia. Alături de aceste trofee se mai adaugă și patru titluri de golgheter obținute în 1933, 1934, 1935 și 1937.

Alergarea sa în galop, de unde și-a dobândit porecla mai sus amintită, și șuturile trimise cu o forță teribilă, l-au transformat pe Dobay într-un adevărat coșmar pentru adversari. S-a consacrat pe postul de extremă stânga, post pe care a evoluat și în echipa națională, cu care a participat la două turnee finale ale Campionatului Mondial, în 1934 și 1938 și la cinci ediții ale Cupei Balcanice.
Legenda șuturilor sale năprasnice pornește de la o faptă reală, petrecută la un meci de Divizia A dintre Juventus București si „Ripi”, cum era alintată trupa fanion a Banatului. Cibi Braun, însuși căpitanul echipei Juventus, povestește această întâmplare care a avut loc în sezonul 1935-1936 la București, în fața unui stadion arhiplin. „În minutul 8, Ghiță Ciolac l-a deschis splendid pe Dobay, iar Calul a pornit-o în galop! Apoi, după ce a scăpat și de Nicky Petrescu, de la vreo 10 metri și-a expediat ghiuleaua spre poarta lui Enderffi. Ei bine, dragii mei, șutul acela n-a fost șut, ci un adevărat trăsnet! Mingea a spart plasa porții și a ieșit afară. Pot să vă spun cu mâna pe inimă că toată viața mea n-am întâlnit lovitură atât de puternică. Balonul a trecut ca ghiuleaua din tun și pe oricine l-ar fi întâlnit în cale cred că l-ar fi doborât la pământ. Tribunele au început să aplaude cu frenezie.”
Într-un interviu cu marele cronicar sportiv Ioan Chirilă, „Calul”, aflat la pensie, în 1966, rememorează o parte din calitățile sale de fotbalist.

„Eu porneam ca din praștie fără să mă uit înapoi – știam că Șubi (Schwartz) face vreo două fente ca să simuleze o pasă în partea opusă și mă trezeam deodată cu mingea în față, dar o minge atât de perfectă, pe fuleu! Odată mingea primită, coboram în viteză spre poartă. Prea tehnic n-am fost niciodată. Nu mă pricepeam la finețuri. Eu știam una și bună: arunci mingea pe lângă, și ocolești adversarul la economie, pe tangentă, apoi izbește, tot în viteză. Ionică Bogdan a fost un mare dribleur, dacă aș fi vrut să-l imit aș fi fost un surogat. ˝Ștefan dragă, tu ești făcut să pui ștampile. Subi scrie cererea, tu pui ștampila și dai drumul la gol.”

„Am muncit mult pentru șut. Încă de mic. Am început-o cu zidul. Pe zid desenam cercuri cu creta roșie. Trăgeam în toate cercurile din toate pozițiile, de pe loc și din mișcare, apoi din viteză; am micșorat cercurile și am mărit distanța, apoi cu adversar (Chiroiu) și cu portar (Pavlovici). Cel care dă gol e omul care aduce ploaia!”

După ce și-a încheiat cariera de fotbalist, Dobay a urmat și cariera de antrenor. A început la Constanța, la echipele CFR și Dezrobirea, continuând la Locomotiva Tg Mureș, Flacăra Moreni, Dinamo București, CCA, ASM Lugoj, UTA și CFR Cluj. Dobay a fost și antrenor de lot național, cele mai bune rezultate ca tehnician obținându-le cu CCA, prin câștigarea Cupei României (1955) și obținerea titlului național (1956).
Din motive de sănătate, Dobay se pensionează în 1960, suferind de artroză coxofemurală, boală în urma căruia a fost nevoit să suporte numeroase intervenții chirurgicale. Ultimii ani din viață îi trăiește la Târgu Mureș, unde se stinge din viață pe 7 aprilie 1994, la venerabila vârstă de 84 de ani.

Hermano "Nano" da Silva Ramos, a former racing driver of dual French-Brazilian nationality. Da Silva Ramos participated in seven Formula One World Championship Grands Prix

Hermano^[1] João "Nano" da Silva Ramos (born 7 December 1925) is a former racing driver of dual French-Brazilian nationality.^[2] He had a French mother and a Brazilian father.^[3]


Da Silva Ramos was born in Paris, France. He first ventured into motor racing, driving an MG TC, in March 1947, when at the age of 21, he competed in the Interlagos Grand Prix in Brazil.^[3] During 1953 he began racing an Aston Martin DB2/4 in sports car races in France. In 1954 at Montlhéry, he crossed the line in second place in the Paris Cup but was winner of the Coupe de Montlehery. In the same year, he also participated in the Le Mans 24 hour race, with Jean-Paul Colas as his co-driver, being forced to retire after 14 hours following a rear axle failure. Also in 1954, he ran out of fuel whilst leading the Tour de France Auto and retired with a damaged engine in the Rally of Morocco. Later in the year in the Salon Cup, in which he also had to retire, he drove a Gordini Type 18.^[3] In 1955 he (with co-driver Lucas) were disqualified for speeding in the Monte Carlo Rally, eventually classified 46th and 4th in class, won the Coupe de Montlhery again, won the Rally Sable-Solesmes and was 5th in the GT class of the Mille Miglia with co-driver Vidille.^[4]
Da Silva Ramos participated in seven Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 19 June 1955 and scoring a total of two championship points.


“Nano” , as he is affectionately called, is good company, rarely without a smile, and has a way of standing back and observing things that went on around him. Indeed he was on the sidelines of the “Behra Affair” that eventually saw Jean Behra booted out of the Ferrari team only to die two weeks later in a sports car accident at the Avus track in a Porsche.
Nano’s first race was back in Brazil with an old MG but then he moved to France and in the early 1950s he visited Le Mans as a spectator. He was intrigued by the Aston Martins and ordered a DB2 Coupe.
When we went to collect the car in Paris he met Mike Sparken, a French-born enthusiast who the same Aston as Nano was about to buy so Mike ordered ordered an identical car.
Ironically both of them were eventually to drive and race Ferraris. At that time a number of racing drivers in Paris used to visit “Jimmy’s Club” and early one morning, about 5.00 am, da Silva Ramos and English racing drivers Peter Collins and Lance Macklin decided to have a race round the famous Arc de Triomphe in the middle of Paris. Not only that, they decided to race round it clockwise which is the wrong way round and were lucky not to meet any traffic. As Nano explained “We were lucky, the streets of Paris were quiet and there were no police around!”
French racing car constructor Amedee Gordini saw da Silva Ramos race his street Aston Martin and was impressed and offered him a Gordini sports car and later grand prix drive but this came to an end in 1957. Nano’s best friend was the Marquis de Portago and when he was killed in the Mille Miglia that year Nano decided to quit racing. A year later, however, thanks to his French racing friend Jean Estager, who owned and raced Ferrari 250GT TdF s/n 0749GT, he came back into racing.
In the 1957 Tour de France Estager had shared the car with grand prix driver Harry Schell who comprehensively damaged it when he hit a little Citroen 2CV that had strayed on to a closed special stage. Now repaired, Estager sold 0749GT to da Silva Ramos who took the former owner with him on the 1958 Tour de France. They finished third overall behind winners Olivier Gendebien/Lucien Bianchi ( TdF 1033GT) and Maurice Trintignant/ Francois Picard (TdF 0901GT).

Nano continued to race the Ferrari but in 1959 was invited by Enzo Ferrari to join Ferrari’s sports car squad which led to him being selected to share a TR59 at Le Mans that year with Jean Behra.

Behra was already grumpy because he thought he was team leader at Ferrari . In fact, Enzo Ferrari had not specifically named a team leader but left the drivers to fight it out between themselves. Everything started to come to a head at Le Mans where the relatively calm team manager Romolo Tavoni was driven to distraction by Behra.
First of all, Behra insisted he did not want to be paired with da Silva Ramos and wanted Dan Gurney to race with him; Tavoni aquiesed placing da Silva Ramos with Cliff Allison and assigning Gurney to the Behra car. But that was not enough, for during first practice da Silva Ramos was quickest of the Ferrari’s.

At the French Grand Prix, two weeks later, Behra roundly criticised Ferrari, and the grand prix car he had been given, to one of the French newspapers and this was duly reported back to Enzo Ferrari.
Tavoni received a telephone call in France telling him that Jean Behra must report to Maranello on the Monday after the race and apologise. When Behra and Tavoni arrived in Maranello for the Monday meeting they found Enzo Ferrari had brought along two Italian motoring journalists to witness the apology: Behra refused. At this Enzo Ferrari lifted the telephone and asked his financial director Emelio della Casa to confirm any money that was owed to Behra, to make out a cheque and Behra was fired on the spot.
Meanwhile Behra had built his own grand prix car, the Behra-Porsche that Maria Teresa de Fillipis had raced. Behra then decided to race the car himself in the German Grand Prix at the banked and frighteningly fast Avus circuit. Sadly, in a support race for sports cars, his Porsche Spyder slid up the banking and over the edge; Behra was killed instantly.
As for da Silva Ramos, the Le Mans race in 1959 was also his final race as he was faced with family problems and decided to hang up his helmet for good.  (F1 Grand Prix Drivers Club)