Aleksandar Petrović was a Serbian-born film director and screenwriter, born in 1929 and died in 1994 in Paris. He was one of the first directors of his generation to break free from the stereotypes and propaganda codes that plagued Yugoslav cinema. He studied at the Prague Film Academy and the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, where he earned a degree in Art History.

In 1957, he directed his first short film, "Between the Sky and the Marsh". His films "Her and Him" ​​(1961) and "The Days" (1963) marked the beginning of the modern sensibility of the new Yugoslav cinema. He was appointed professor of directing at the Academy of Cinema, Theatre and Television in Belgrade.

"Tri" (1965), nominated for an Oscar, was a worldwide success. "I Even Met Happy Gypsies" (1967) won the Grand Prix and the FIPRECI at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1968, he directed "It's Raining in My Village", inspired by Dostoyevsky's The Possessed. In 1973, the communist government forced him to resign from his professorship in cinematography. From then on, he worked abroad.

"The Master and Margarita" (1973) won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, among other awards. In 1977, he made "Group Portrait with a Lady", based on Heinrich Böll. His last film was "Migrations", made in 1989.