Ivan Passer | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ivan Passer at 43rdKVIFF | |
| Born | (1933-07-10)July 10, 1933 |
| Died | January 9, 2020(2020-01-09) (aged 86) |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter |
Ivan Passer (10 July 1933 – 9 January 2020) was aCzechfilm director andscreenwriter, best known for his involvement in theCzechoslovak New Wave and for directing American films such asBorn to Win (1971),Cutter's Way (1981) andStalin (1992).
Passer was born inPrague, the son of Marianna (Mandelick) and Alois Passer.[1] Passer attended King George boarding school inPoděbrady with future filmmakersMiloš Forman,Jerzy Skolimowski andPaul Fierlinger and playwrightVáclav Havel. He then studied atFAMU in Prague, but did not finish the program.[2] He began his career as an assistant director onLadislav Helge'sVelká samota.
Later he collaborated with his friend Forman on all of Forman's Czech films, includingLoves of a Blonde (1965) andThe Firemen's Ball (1967), both of which Passer co-wrote and which were nominated forAcademy Awards. He introduced Forman to cinematographerMiroslav Ondříček whom he knew fromVelká samota. He then directed his first feature,Intimate Lighting, which was released in 1965 and is considered by some to be Passer's masterpiece.[3][4]
In 1969, after theWarsaw Pact invasion, Passer and Forman leftCzechoslovakia together.[5] Both proceeded to theUnited States,[6] with Forman becoming an Academy Award-winning filmmaker. Passer went on to make several prominent American films such asBorn to Win (1971), a junkie drama starringGeorge Segal andKaren Black,[7] andCutter's Way (1981), a dramatic thriller starringJeff Bridges andJohn Heard.[8]
Though best known for his idiosyncratic, often gritty dramas,[9] he also directed comedies such asSilver Bears (1978) starringMichael Caine andCreator (1985) starringPeter O'Toole. Later in his career, he directed numerous films for television, most notably the award-winning biopicStalin (1992) starringRobert Duvall forHBO. He was also a film professor at theUniversity of Southern California.
Passer died on January 9, 2020, from pulmonary complications inReno, Nevada. He was 86 years old.[10]
