Ivan Passer: Biography

Noted Czech filmmaker and screenwriter Ivan Passer was a key figure in his country's New Wave cinema. He started out as a scriptwriter and collaborated on many Milos Forman films. Passer made his directorial debut in the medium-length look at soccer zealots, A Boring Afternoon, in 1964. Like Forman, Passer is noted for his rare ability to see the craziness inherent in the average life. In 1968, after the Soviets forced their way into Czechoslovakia, Passer accepted the invitation of Carlo Ponti and defected to the West, eventually landing in the U.S. where he made a name for himself making such offbeat films as the popular cult film Cutter's Way (aka Cutter and Bone) in 1981. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide