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Maria Ratcheva passed away, a few weeks after her 60th anniversary. The Bulgarian film scientist and film critic had studied in Sofia and had taken her doctor's degree in Warsaw (a student of Jerzy Toeplitz). She published in Poland ("Nowa fala i nowa powiesc"), and wrote two books on Bulgarian cinema (published also in English and French versions). In 1975, she moved to Munich, Germany, and published books among others on Hungarian cinema and Krzysztof Zanussi. An updated version of her book on Bulgarian cinema was translated into German. She was one of the first programmers of the Munich International Film Festival, specialized on Eastern European cinema. In 1985, a heavy stroke ended her career. She recovered only partially and lost especially the languages she had spoken fluently. Against all unfavourability of fate, she continued with an incredible energy and an admirable will for life to attend festivals and to write on films, according to her possibilities. In Bulgaria, she was member of Vitis, the Academy of Theater and Cinema. She leaves a grown-up daughter. (k.e.)

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