Aleksandar "Saša" Petrovic (14 January 1929 – 20 August 1994) was a Yugoslav and Serbian film director who was one of the leading European directors in the 1960s and one of the major figures of the Yugoslav Black Wave.
Two of his films were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film: Three in 1966 and I Even Met Happy Gypsies (Feather Gatherers) in 1967.
The latter (original title "Skupljaci perja") was the first movie that presented the existence of Gypsies in society and everyday life; it was also the first full-feature film where Gypsies spoke their own language, Roma.
Most roles were interpreted by real Gypsies; this was their movie.
"As a child, I observed them and saw in these people faith and irrationality," said Petrovic I Even Met Happy Gypsies won the FIPRESCI Prize and the Grand Prize of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival; it also received a nomination for a Golden Globe.
In 1967 Petrovic was a member of the jury at the 17th Berlin International Film Festival.One of his most famous films is It Rains in My Village.
Petrovic found inspiration for this film in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel The Possessed.
The film was nominated for a Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) at the 1969 Cannes Film FestivalIn 1973, Petrovic was forced to leave his post at the Belgrade Film Academy after being accused of holding anti-communist views by the communist government of Yugoslavia.
In late December 1989, he joined the founding committee of the Democratic Party in Serbia, the first opposition anti-communist party in Serbia.