Goran Paskaljević

Directing

Goran Paskaljević

Born 1947-04-22 · Belgrade, Serbia

Goran Paskaljević was a Serbian and former Yugoslav film director. Born in Belgrade, he was raised by his grandparents in Niš in southern Serbia, following the divorce of his parents. Fourteen years later he returned to Belgrade where he worked with his stepfather at the Yugoslav Film Archive. Paskaljević belonged to a group of several Yugoslav filmmakers who studied abroad and graduated from the prestigious Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU). After returning to Yugoslavia, he made some 30 documentaries and 16 feature films which were screened at many international film festivals (such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto and San Sebastian) and met with critical acclaim. The rise of nationalism during the breakup of Yugoslavia forced him to leave his country in 1992. In 1998 he returned to Yugoslavia to make the Powder Keg (known as Cabaret Balkan in the USA) which won the FIPRESCI prize at the Venice Film Festival and at the European Film Awards. In 2001, Variety International Film Guide marked him as one of the world's top five directors of the year. The Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA) presented a full retrospective of his work in January 2008. It was BFI Southbank's (London) turn to organize in July 2010 a full retrospective of his 16 feature films, along with the publication of a monograph (in English) about his work. Paskaljević lived between Belgrade and Paris, France and he held both Serbian and French citizenship. As of 2008 he was named Officer of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He died on 25 September 2020 in Paris.

Acting credits

Behind the camera

Cabaret Balkan poster
7.5

20 peoples paths crisscross one night in violent mid-'90s Belgrade.

Cabaret Balkan

1998

Cabaret Balkan poster
7.5

20 peoples paths crisscross one night in violent mid-'90s Belgrade.

Cabaret Balkan

1998

The Servant poster
7.2

Film is based on a folk tale and tells about how you cannot run away from your destiny. Events take place in unknown place a few centuries ago. Rich landlord cannot have children despite the fact he has a young wife. He hires an unknown drifter who is roaming trough their area with intentions to give him an heir.

The Servant

1973

The Servant poster
7.2

Film is based on a folk tale and tells about how you cannot run away from your destiny. Events take place in unknown place a few centuries ago. Rich landlord cannot have children despite the fact he has a young wife. He hires an unknown drifter who is roaming trough their area with intentions to give him an heir.

The Servant

1973

The Elusive Summer of '68 poster
7.6

For the young man who lives in Serbian province town, the maturing coincides with the turbulent political events of the year 1968.

The Elusive Summer of '68

1984

The Elusive Summer of '68 poster
7.6

For the young man who lives in Serbian province town, the maturing coincides with the turbulent political events of the year 1968.

The Elusive Summer of '68

1984

Guardian Angel poster
7.1

A journalist investigates the smuggling of gypsy children on the black market and tries to save a young boy.

Guardian Angel

1987

Guardian Angel poster
7.1

A journalist investigates the smuggling of gypsy children on the black market and tries to save a young boy.

Guardian Angel

1987

How Harry Became a Tree poster
5.5

Set in rural Ireland. Believing that "a man is measured by his enemies", Harry Maloney sets out to ruin George O'Flaherty – the most powerful man in town, who not only owns the local pub and most of the businesses in the area, but is also the local matchmaker. When Harry's son Gus – upon whom Harry regularly heaps abuse (mostly mental and verbal) – falls for the lovely Eileen, George helps get the two together. During this time, Harry quietly mobilizes his dastardly plans.

How Harry Became a Tree

2002

How Harry Became a Tree poster
5.5

Set in rural Ireland. Believing that "a man is measured by his enemies", Harry Maloney sets out to ruin George O'Flaherty – the most powerful man in town, who not only owns the local pub and most of the businesses in the area, but is also the local matchmaker. When Harry's son Gus – upon whom Harry regularly heaps abuse (mostly mental and verbal) – falls for the lovely Eileen, George helps get the two together. During this time, Harry quietly mobilizes his dastardly plans.

How Harry Became a Tree

2002

Midwinter Night's Dream poster
5.2

A simple story of an ex-convict who comes home after 10 years, only to find two squatters in the form of a woman and her autistic daughter. Though Lazar initially plans to kick out Jasna and Jovana, he changes his mind after seeing the squalid conditions of the shelter they are to move into. It is an allegory of the Balkan wars. When first released in Serbia, it caused some public outrage because of the sharp criticism of Serbia's role in the war.

Midwinter Night's Dream

2004

Midwinter Night's Dream poster
5.2

A simple story of an ex-convict who comes home after 10 years, only to find two squatters in the form of a woman and her autistic daughter. Though Lazar initially plans to kick out Jasna and Jovana, he changes his mind after seeing the squalid conditions of the shelter they are to move into. It is an allegory of the Balkan wars. When first released in Serbia, it caused some public outrage because of the sharp criticism of Serbia's role in the war.

Midwinter Night's Dream

2004

Midwinter Night's Dream poster
5.2

A simple story of an ex-convict who comes home after 10 years, only to find two squatters in the form of a woman and her autistic daughter. Though Lazar initially plans to kick out Jasna and Jovana, he changes his mind after seeing the squalid conditions of the shelter they are to move into. It is an allegory of the Balkan wars. When first released in Serbia, it caused some public outrage because of the sharp criticism of Serbia's role in the war.

Midwinter Night's Dream

2004

Someone Else's America poster
6.9

This tale takes place in a bar. The Spanish Alonso and his blind mother run this place. Bay, who is Alonso's friend live here too. This story tells something about Alonso and Bay and the "American Dream".

Someone Else's America

1995

Special Treatment poster
5.3

Dr. Ilic works in the hospital for compulsory treatment of alcoholics. By conducting his own "special treatment" through physical exercises, apple eating, the healing effects of listening to Wagner's music and psychodrama, a group of six patients have been taken to visit the brewery where there is a problem of alcoholism in the workplace.

Special Treatment

1980

Tango Argentino poster
4.6

A boy who is helping lonely, elderly people revives their urge to live and receives in return their love and understanding, which have been denied to him by his parents.

Tango Argentino

1992

Twilight Time poster
5.6

After spending 20 years in America, aging widower Marko Sekulovic (Karl Malden) returns to his Yugoslavian homeland to take care of his two young grandchildren. But Marko's quiet life is in for a shake up when he meets the pretty new village schoolteacher, Lana (Jodi Thelen). Malden pays tribute to his Yugoslav heritage in this affecting 1982 drama.

Twilight Time

1982

Twilight Time poster
5.6

After spending 20 years in America, aging widower Marko Sekulovic (Karl Malden) returns to his Yugoslavian homeland to take care of his two young grandchildren. But Marko's quiet life is in for a shake up when he meets the pretty new village schoolteacher, Lana (Jodi Thelen). Malden pays tribute to his Yugoslav heritage in this affecting 1982 drama.

Twilight Time

1982

The Legend of Lapot poster
6.9

In a remote mountainous village elderly people no longer deemed productive are stoned to death.

The Legend of Lapot

1972

The Legend of Lapot poster
6.9

In a remote mountainous village elderly people no longer deemed productive are stoned to death.

The Legend of Lapot

1972

The Optimists poster
6.7

Five scenarios in which people have trouble distinguishing truth from illusions. Each segment reflects the motto of Voltaire's Candide: "Optimism is insisting everything is good, when everything is bad."

The Optimists

2006

The Optimists poster
6.7

Five scenarios in which people have trouble distinguishing truth from illusions. Each segment reflects the motto of Voltaire's Candide: "Optimism is insisting everything is good, when everything is bad."

The Optimists

2006

No artwork available
8.0

No synopsis available yet.

Kapetan Janko

1974

Mister Hrstka poster
8.0

One day in the life of Mr Hrstka, a blue collar worker and occasional pose model at the Prague academy of arts. Through this portrayal of an outsider, Paskaljevic explores the subject of isolation.

Mister Hrstka

1970