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| Miloš Forman Photo: Zff2012 |
Miloš Forman, director of Amadeus and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, has died at the age of 86 following a short illness. The highly acclaimed filmmaker, who began his career in Czechoslovakia, was also known for his acting and is academic work, and even had an asteroid named after him.
Raised by relatives after his parents died in concentration camps, Forman began his career with a mixture of documentary work and comedies. He happened to be in Paris when Czechoslovakia became communist, and he went on to become a US citizen and work at Columbia University in New York. In his time, he oversaw the Cannes and Venice film festivals and received a Crystal Globe for his outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema in Karlovy Vary. His other films included The Fireman's Ball, Valmont, Goya's Ghosts and Man On The Moon, the latter a biopic of comedian Andy Kaufman, after who he named one of his sons.
"He had a tremendous filmography that documented the rebel heart and human spirit," said Edgar Wright. "I have seen 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' enough times to be able to silently mouth along with the movie." Antonio Banderas called him a "genius of cinematography and master in the portrayal of the human condition."
Forman, who died at home in Connecticut, is survived by wife Martina Zborilova and sons Andy and Jim.
