Dino Cocea | Writer and director, 84

Romanian director and writer Dinu Cocea, 84, who made popular historical adventure movies before being forced into exile by the Communists, died of heart failure Thursday, his daughter told a Romanian news agency.

Born into a well-known theatrical family, he debuted with The Outlaws in 1966 and made 15 movies in Romania.

However, he had to emigrate to Paris in 1986 after he angered Communist censors with a script about a dam that was plagued by corruption.

The American Academy of Film gave him an award in 2000 for his work. - AP