# Aleksandar Petrović (film director)

Aleksandar "Saša" Petrović (14 January 1929 – 20 August 1994) was a Serbian film director. He was one of the major figures of the Yugoslav Black Wave.

## Biography

Two of his films were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film: Three in 1966 and I Even Met Happy Gypsies (Feather Gatherers) in 1967. The latter (original title "Skupljaci perja") was the first movie that presented the existence of Gypsies in society and everyday life; it was also the first full-feature film where Gypsies spoke their own language, Roma. Most roles were interpreted by real Gypsies; this was their movie. "As a child, I observed them and saw in these people faith and irrationality," said Petrović I Even Met Happy Gypsies won the FIPRESCI Prize and the Grand Prize of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival; it also received a nomination for a Golden Globe. In 1967 Petrović was a member of the jury at the 17th Berlin International Film Festival.
One of his most famous films is It Rains in My Village. Petrović found inspiration for this film in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel The Possessed. The film was nominated for a Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival
In 1973, Petrović was forced to leave his post at the Belgrade Film Academy after being accused of holding anti-communist views by the communist government of Yugoslavia. In late December 1989, he joined the founding committee of the Democratic Party in Serbia, the first opposition anti-communist party in Serbia.
Petrović published several hundreds of articles and several books, including Novi film I: 1960-1965 and Novi film II: Crni film (1965-1970).
He died in Paris on 20 August 1994.

## Filmography

Feature films :
| Year | Film | Other notes |
| 1958 | The Only Way Out ("The Only Exit") (Jedini izlaz) | Director |
| 1961 | And Love Has Vanished ("When Love Has Gone") (Dvoje) | Director, writer Nominated—Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival |
| 1963 | Days (Dani) | Director |
| 1965 | Three (Tri) | Director, writer Pula Big Golden Arena for Best Yugoslav Film Pula Golden Arena for Best Director Nominated—Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film Grand Prix for Best Film Karlovy Vary International Festival |
| 1967 | I Even Met Happy Gypsies (Skupljači perja) | Director, writer Pula Big Golden Arena for Best Yugoslav Film Pula Golden Arena for Best Director Nominated—Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film WON—Grand Prix Special du Jury and International Critics Award FIPRESCI at the Cannes Film Festival |
| 1968 | It Rains in My Village (Biće skoro propast sveta) | Director, writer Nominated—Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival |
| 1972 | The Master and Margaret (Majstor i Margarita) | Director, Based on the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov writer in collaboration with Barbara Alberti, Amedeo Pagani Pula Big Golden Arena for Best Yugoslav Film Pula Golden Arena for Best Director |
| 1977 | Group Portrait with a Lady (Grupni portret s damom) | Director, writer after the novel by Nobel prize winner Heinrich Böll, Nominated—Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival |
| 1981 | The Falcon (Banović Strahinja) | Writer only |
| 1989 | Migrations (Seobe) | Director, script and dialogues in collaboration with Jacques Doniol-Valcroze |
Documentaries and short films :
| Year | Film | Other notes |
| 1955 | SHOULDER TO SHOULDER ("Side by side") (UZ DRUGA JE DRUG) | Director |
| 1956 | FLIGHT OVER THE SWAMP ("Flight Above The Marshes") (LET NAD MOČVAROM) | Director |
| 1957 | PETAR DOBROVIĆ | Director |
| 1958 | THE ROADS (PUTEVI) | Director |
| 1960 | THE WAR ON WAR (War Against The War") (RAT RATU) | Director |
| 1964 | RECORD ("The Data") (ZAPISNIK) | Director |
| 1965 | ASSEMBLIES ("Fairs") (SABORI) | Director |