Women in Film: Nadia Gray

By Olivia Maria Hărşan

Romanian born film actress Nadia Gray (1923-1994) is most noted for her role as Nadia in Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960). Of Russian and Bessarabian origins, Nadia fled to Paris when the communists took over Romania in the late 1940s. From here onwards she would be cast in French and Italian productions and, like most of these showbiz types, involved in several relationships throughout her lifetime before settling with her third husband, Manhattan attorney Herbert Silverman, in none other than New York City. 

Scene from La Dolce Vita

Women in Film: Márta Mészáros

By Olivia Maria Hărşan

A screenwriter/film director status is rare for a woman in the film industry, let alone in Eastern Europe, and yet Márta Mészáros still managed to hold these titles, producing powerful narratives, gaining international recognition and awards along the way. Márta's career began in the then-popular field of documentary filmmaking that transformed into realism. Fellow Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr had also excelled in the 'wave' of realist cinema that boomed in Hungary during the late-70s, before changing his style drastically, as noticed in his transitional feature, Almanac of Fall/ Őszi almanach (1984). Similar to Tarr, Mészáros tweaked the dogme of documentary/realist filmmaking by adding her own stamp of auteurship, portraying evocative topics ranging from denial of the past to gender norms. Her protagonists are always women that come from broken backgrounds - perhaps drawing from personal experiences growing up as an orphan in the USSR after the murder of her father, the sculptor László Mészáros, under the Stalinist regime. Diary for my Children/ Napló gyermekeimnek (1984) is her most successful film to date, for which she won the Grand Prix Spécial du Jury (today known simply as Grand Prix) at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival.

Márta with former husband Miklós Jancsó 

Women in Film: Emília Vášáryová

By Olivia Maria Hărşan

The beauty gene certainly runs in this family. Emília Vášáryová is the gorgeous sister of one of my faveorite Slovak actresses Magdaléna Vášáryová.

Women in Film: Kveta Fialová

By Olivia Maria Hărşan

Can't go wrong with a cat picture.

Ethereal beauty

Women in Film: Kalina Jędrusik

By Olivia Maria Hărşan

Polish actress Kalina Jędrusik was a sex symbol throughout the 1960's and 1970's contributing her acting and singing talents to over thirty films. Her performance in Andrzej Wajda's The Promised Land (1975) has been hot topic for many film feminists interested in exploring ideas pertaining to the 'other Other'. Kalina plays a Polish Jewish woman involved in an affair with a nobleman but her role extends to the temptress stereotype through the 'exotic-ness' of her Jewish identity. Kalina was not conventionally beautiful but she acquired a type of forbidden desire within her accentuated physical features.

Women in Film: Helena Anýžová

By Olivia Maria Hărşan

A couple of days ago I re-watched Valerie and her Week of Wonders (1970), a Czechoslovakian film directed by Jaromil Jireš and realised how amazing the actress Helena Anýžová really is. She delivers a great role as the protagonist Valerie's grandmother/mother/vampire sadomasochist freak while her work as costume designer on this production is certainly something to be praised. I decided to include this picture alone for this post as it really speaks for itself detailing her natural beauty in this somewhat Japanese-like look but if you're interested in viewing some film stills from Valerie and her Week of Wonders check out this visual diary post.

Women in Film: Clara Vodă

By Olivia Maria Hărşan

Romanian actress Clara Vodă is a rare gem in the acting industry. Not only has she portrayed some highly complex roles in films that form part of the New Romanian Cinema (2001 - today), but she has recently proved her ability to perform on a transnational level, working with Spanish documentary filmmaker Chema Rodríguez on his debut narrative feature Night Falls in India/ Anochehe en la India (2013). 

I first saw Clara perform on stage over ten years ago in a Romanian theatre production in Melbourne. The play focused on the life of Maria Callas, particularly emphasising the tragedy of the singer's vocal decline. Clara and Bogdan Vodă (partner and fellow actor) delivered supporting roles answering to the principles of Theatre of the Absurd that were comically clever, passionate and energetic. I managed to meet Clara after the show, even though she was adorned with flowers and praise from other Romanian fans, and she was just as lovely in person as I imagined.

Since then Clara has acted in a variety of important films working alongside some interesting directors that reside at the forefront of Romanian cinema today - Cristi Puiu, Adrian Sitaru, Cătălin Mitulescu, Florin Șerban, Tudor Giurgiu and Paul Negoescu. Her experiences of working on films that satirize the communist past, such as Cristi Puiu's The Death of Mr Lazarescu/ Moartea domnului Lăzărescu (2005) and Mircea Daneliuc's Snail's Senator/ Senatorul Melcilor (1995) have proved vital to my research on exploring the socio-political nuances in Romanian cinema pre-1989 and post-Revolution - today. 

Clara is a diverse actress who has continued and will endure to impress audiences on a national and international scale.

View Clara's showreel here.

When I Want to Whistle, I Whistle/ Eu când vreau să fluier, fluier (2010) Florin Șerban

Snail's Senator/ Senatorul Melcilor (1995) Mircea Daneliuc

Waves/ Valuri (2007) Adrian Sitaru

This photo of Clara is derived from the blog Micafotografa - photography by Bucharest based actress and photographer Ana Maria Moldovan.

Women in Film: Lucyna Winnicka

By Olivia Maria Hărşan

Lucyna was a Polish actress who sadly passed away earlier this year. In her lifetime she appeared a number of reputable roles alongside actors such as Zbigniew Cybulski (1927-1967) and Leon Niemczyk (1923-2006). Lucyna is most remembered for her portrayal as the protagonist in Jerzy Kawalerowicz' Mother Joan of the Angels/ Matka Joanna od Aniołów (1961), which she received the Special Jury Prize at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival.

Women in Film: Hédi Temessy

By Olivia Maria Hărşan

Special Birthday Post. Today is my birthday and I've decided to do a post on a wonderful actress from Hungary, Hédi Temessy (1925-2001).

I have developed a fascination for this actress since studying the films of Béla Tarr whom she worked with on his films, Almanac of Fall (1984) and Damnation (1987). There is something so mysterious about her gaze and her piercing crystal eyes. Hédi Temessy was an ethereal beauty with a fierce talent of acting.

In her younger years.

Still from Almanac of Fall (1984) Béla Tarr

Still from Almanac of Fall.

Still from Damnation (1987) Béla Tarr

Women in Film: Ewa Pokas

By Olivia Maria Hărşan

Information on the Polish actress Ewa Pokas is unfortunately lacking while her filmography is only a short list of Polish features, however, she certainly deserves a mention for her role in Krzysztof Kieślowski's Camera Buff/Amator (1979). The photos below derive from the Polish Film Archive.

Women in Film: Milena Dravić

By Olivia Maria Hărşan

Other Eastern European film enthusiasts may recognise the Serbian actress, Milena Dravić from Dušan Makavejev's Man is Not a Bird/ Čovek nije tica (1965) or more famously W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism/ W.R. - Misterije organizma (1971). Discovered at the age of 4 by Czech filmmaker František Čáp, Milena went on to appear in a couple of films throughout her adolescence which eventuated in her decision to study the craft at Belgrade's Dramatic Arts Academy. She is considered the first lady of Yugoslav cinema, having received significant recognition for her role in Branko Bauer's Superfluous/ Prekobrojna (1962). In 1980, Milena won the Best Supporting Actress award at Cannes for her appearance in Goran Paskaljević's film Special Treatment/ Poseban tretman. These days she has taken a break from acting - her last film was in St. George Slays the Dragon/ Sveti Georgije ubiva aždahu (2009) - and continues to live with her husband of over 40 years and fellow actor, Dragoslav "Dragan" Nikolić.