Ivan Passer

Ivan Passer (b. 1933, Prague), screenwriter and director, only managed to shoot one medium-length film and one feature during the 1960s before emigrating to the USA in 1968; nevertheless, he is regarded as one of the most important figures of the New Wave. Together with Jaroslav Papoušek and Miloš Forman he wrote the scripts for all of Forman's Czech films, and he shares common ground with the latter in his way of viewing reality and in his use of stylistic approaches. These include withholding plot elements in favour of detailed observation, concentration on characters, and emphasis on the authentic depiction of everyday experiences.

In the USA he shot around 20 films on varying themes, the majority of which, despite their tendency towards more traditional story-telling, bear the hallmarks of his directorial style. His films include Born to Win (1971), Cutter's Way (1981), Haunted Summer (1988) and Stalin (1992).

MFF Karlovy Vary