Goran Paskaljević

Born in Belgrade in 1947, Goran Paskaljevic studied at the prestigious FAMU film school in Prague. He has made around 30 documentaries and 15 fiction features which have participated in and received accolades at events around the world. Highly devoted in his work to the reality of the world in which he lives, Paskaljevic talks in his movies about today’s society, war, immigration, xenophobia... subjects laced throughout a filmography portraying one of the most important European moviemakers in the last two decades.

His first feature was Cuvar plaze u zimskom periodu / Beach Guard in Winter (1976), winner of the International Critics’ Award at Berlin Festival. Since then, all of his films have participated in and garnered awards at the most important festivals the world over: Someone Else’s America (1995), Audience Award at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, International Critic’s Award for Cabaret Balkan (1998) and Audience Award for Tango argentino (1992) in Venice, Jury Grand Prix for Midwinter Night’s Dream (2004) and FIPRESCI Prize for Vreme cuda / Time of Miracles (1990) at San Sebastian, three-times winner of the Golden Spike at Valladolid –Someone Else’s America, The Optimists (2006) and Honeymoons (2009)– and a never-ending list of other awards: European Critics’ Best Film Award for Cabaret Balkan, Golden Globe Best Foreign Film nomination for Poseban tretman / Special Treatment (1980)…

The rise of nationalism forced him to leave his country in 1992. In 1998 he returned to shoot Balkan Cabaret.