For almost four decades Haris Pašović has been one of the leading theatre directors in Southeast Europe. He is a full professor of Directing at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo and a professor at IEDC Bled School of Management in Slovenia. Pašović is the director of Sarajevo Fest. He was the director of the Italian festival Mittelfest.
He is the artistic director of the East West Centre in Sarajevo. The plays he has directed have been performed in more than 20 countries on three continents, including the world’s major arts festivals: Edinburgh International Festival, Festival d’Avignon, Singapore Arts Festival, National Arts Festival of South Africa, and many others. His productions at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre in Belgrade — Wedekind’s Spring Awakening and The Birds, based on Aristophanes’ play (1987–1990) — are ranked among the high points of theatre in the former Yugoslavia. In 1989, together with Prof. Razija Lagumdžija, he founded the Directing Department at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo. During the Siege of Sarajevo he returned from Amsterdam to Sarajevo and relaunched the MESS festival, which he transformed into an international festival. In 1993 he established the first Sarajevo Film Festival during the siege with the subtitle “After the End of the World.” Pašović led the Sarajevo Festival Ensemble, which guest-performed at Peter Brook’s Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris. His collaboration with Susan Sontag at the MESS Festival is renowned.
Pašović graduated in Directing from the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, in the class of Prof. Bora Drašković. He also trained in the USA, Denmark, and France.
Pašović is the recipient of many awards, including Best Director at BITEF; the Award of the Association of Dramatic Artists of Serbia for the best Yugoslav directing in 1990; the Golden Laurel Wreath for directing at the MES Sarajevo Festival; and many others. He is an honorary doctor of IEDC Bled School of Management.
He is the artistic director of the East West Centre in Sarajevo. The plays he has directed have been performed in more than 20 countries on three continents, including the world’s major arts festivals: Edinburgh International Festival, Festival d’Avignon, Singapore Arts Festival, National Arts Festival of South Africa, and many others. His productions at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre in Belgrade — Wedekind’s Spring Awakening and The Birds, based on Aristophanes’ play (1987–1990) — are ranked among the high points of theatre in the former Yugoslavia. In 1989, together with Prof. Razija Lagumdžija, he founded the Directing Department at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo. During the Siege of Sarajevo he returned from Amsterdam to Sarajevo and relaunched the MESS festival, which he transformed into an international festival. In 1993 he established the first Sarajevo Film Festival during the siege with the subtitle “After the End of the World.” Pašović led the Sarajevo Festival Ensemble, which guest-performed at Peter Brook’s Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris. His collaboration with Susan Sontag at the MESS Festival is renowned.
Pašović graduated in Directing from the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, in the class of Prof. Bora Drašković. He also trained in the USA, Denmark, and France.
Pašović is the recipient of many awards, including Best Director at BITEF; the Award of the Association of Dramatic Artists of Serbia for the best Yugoslav directing in 1990; the Golden Laurel Wreath for directing at the MES Sarajevo Festival; and many others. He is an honorary doctor of IEDC Bled School of Management.