Štefan Uher (Slovakia)

Štefan Uher (1930, Prievidza-1993, Bratislava) was a member of the first FAMU generation, graduating in 1955. He then began a career in documentary filmmaking, the influence of which is evident in his feature films. His other creative strand – a striking, poetic take on reality and an interest in lyrical motifs – prevailed in several films (Miraculous Virgin, 1966, Maple and Juliana, 1972), nevertheless, he generally struck a healthy balance between the two. This applies to his second feature The Sun in a Net (1962), considered the forerunner of the Czechoslovak New Wave movement. After the sombre drama Three Daughters (1967), reflecting 1950s oppression, he was forced to compromise during the normalisation period. Before his death, however, he demonstrated that he was a highly astute observer of intricate human lives, as seen in Concrete Pastures (1982) and Curator of the Outdoor Museum (1988).