Drnkov Blagoja

(Skopje, 1914 – Skopje, 31.01.2012)
He is a doyen of the Macedonian documentary works and a revered personality in the filed of photography.
He began with photograph activities as a pupil. Upon the completion of his secondary education he worked in the "Photo Amateur" photo shop where he bought his first 9,5 mm camera and a cinema projector and in 1940 he became the owner of "Photo Amateur". In 1935 he made his first film. In 1945 he was appointed as the first director of the FIDIMA – the Film Head-Office of Macedonia and the first reporter of "Filmski Novosti" (Film News) from Macedonia. In this period he made numerous film records about the life of his family as well as significant film records according to their social and historical values. Drnkov spent seven months in 1947-48, in Czechoslovakia where he specialized at the "Barandov" studio. He worked in "Vardar Film" until 1953, and then he moved to the Ethnological Museum as a photographer, cameraman and director of ethnological films. From 1957 to 1960 he worked in "Vardar Film" again. From 1960 to 1964 he worked as a photographer and cameraman in the Executive council, and from 1964 to 1969 when he retired, he worked in Skopje Television as a director of documentary films and television series. He is a winner of numerous awards and much recognition: an award from the Television festival in Bled for the television series "Fingers" (dedicated to the old crafts) and "Silkworm", while in 1994 he received the "11th of October” award for life achievement.