Milena Dravic
Encyclopedia
Milena Dravić (Serbian Cyrillic: Милена Дравић) (born October 5, 1940) is a Serbian
actress.
Born in Belgrade
, Dravić was involved with the performing arts from the age of four: first with dance and later classical ballet
. In 1959, while in high school, director František Čap
saw her on the cover of a youth magazine in a ballet dancers group photo and decided on the spot to approach her about being in his film Vrata ostaju otvorena. After appearing in few more films she decided to pursue acting full-time and successfully enrolled in Belgrade's Dramatic Arts Academy.
Her big break came in 1962 when she won the Golden Arena for Best Actress
award (which was the Yugoslav equivalent of Academy Award
) for her role in Branko Bauer
's film Prekobrojna. This was the moment that sent her on the way to becoming Yugoslavia's first and arguably the biggest female movie star.
Milena Dravić continued with long and prolific career during which she showed great talent and versatility. She was equally memorable and believable as the tragic heroine in state-sponsored World War II epics, eccentric protagonist of experimental arthouse films like WR: Mysteries of the Organism and romantic comedies. She especially excelled in the latter during 1970s and 1980s. She won the Cannes Best Supporting Actress Award in 1980 for Special Treatment
.
For her roles and contributions to domestic cinematography
, she received the prestigious "Pavle Vujisić
" award in August 1994.
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
actress.
Born in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Dravić was involved with the performing arts from the age of four: first with dance and later classical ballet
Classical ballet
Classical Ballet is the most formal of the ballet styles, it adheres to traditional ballet technique. There are variations relating to area of origin, such as Russian ballet, French ballet, British ballet and Italian ballet...
. In 1959, while in high school, director František Čap
František Cáp
František Čáp , also known as "Franz Cap" in Germany, was a Czech film director and screenwriter. He directed 32 films between 1939 and 1970....
saw her on the cover of a youth magazine in a ballet dancers group photo and decided on the spot to approach her about being in his film Vrata ostaju otvorena. After appearing in few more films she decided to pursue acting full-time and successfully enrolled in Belgrade's Dramatic Arts Academy.
Her big break came in 1962 when she won the Golden Arena for Best Actress
Golden Arena for Best Actress
The following is a list of winners of the Golden Arena for Best Actress at the Pula Film Festival.-Yugoslav competition:-Croatian competition:-External links:* at the Pula Film Festival official website...
award (which was the Yugoslav equivalent of Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
) for her role in Branko Bauer
Branko Bauer
-Early life:Bauer became interested in cinema as a school boy, influenced by a Jewish girl, a piano player, who was hiding from Ustaše in his parents' home. After World War II, he began working in the Zagreb-based Jadran Film studio as a documentary filmmaker...
's film Prekobrojna. This was the moment that sent her on the way to becoming Yugoslavia's first and arguably the biggest female movie star.
Milena Dravić continued with long and prolific career during which she showed great talent and versatility. She was equally memorable and believable as the tragic heroine in state-sponsored World War II epics, eccentric protagonist of experimental arthouse films like WR: Mysteries of the Organism and romantic comedies. She especially excelled in the latter during 1970s and 1980s. She won the Cannes Best Supporting Actress Award in 1980 for Special Treatment
Special Treatment
Special Treatment is a 1980 Yugoslavian drama film directed by Goran Paskaljević. It was entered into the 1980 Cannes Film Festival where Milena Dravić won the award for Best Supporting Actress.-Cast:* Ljuba Tadić - Dr...
.
For her roles and contributions to domestic cinematography
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
, she received the prestigious "Pavle Vujisić
Pavle Vujisic
Pavle Vuisić Pavle Vuisić Pavle Vuisić (Serbian Cyrillic: Павле Вуисић, also known by his nickname Paja; (10 July 1926 - 1 October 1988) was a Serbian actor, known as one of the most recognisable faces of former Yugoslav cinema....
" award in August 1994.
Selected filmography
- The First Fires (1961)
- KozaraKozara (film)Kozara is a 1962 Yugoslav film directed by Veljko Bulajić. It is a well known film of the partisan film subgenre which was popular in Yugoslavia in the 1960s and 1970s and it depicts events surrounding the Battle of Kozara....
(1962) - Destination DeathDestination DeathDestination Death is a 1964 German-Yugoslavian war film directed by Wolfgang Staudte. It was entered into the 14th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Götz George - Herbert Hackländer* Hans Nielsen - Major a. D...
(1964) - Man is Not a Bird (1965)
- The Camp FollowersThe Camp FollowersThe Camp Followers , is a 1965 Italian World War II film directed by Valerio Zurlini and starring Anna Karina. The film is about a Lieutenant and his men who are assigned to lead a group of prostitutes through the mountainous ways to serve in brothels for Italian soldiers in Albania.-Cast:*Anna...
(1965) - Looking Into the Eyes of the SunLooking Into the Eyes of the SunPogled u zjenicu sunca is a Croatian film directed by Veljko Bulajić. It was released in 1966....
(1966) - RondoRondo (film)Rondo is a 1966 Yugoslavian film by Croatian director Zvonimir Berković. It was filmed in Zagreb, Croatia .-Plot:...
(1966) - W.R.: Mysteries of the OrganismW.R.: Mysteries of the OrganismW.R.: Mysteries of the Organism is a 1971 film by Yugoslav director Dušan Makavejev that explores the relationship between communist politics and sexuality, as well as exploring the life and work of Wilhelm Reich.-Narrative and documentary elements:The film intercuts documentary footage with,...
(1971) - The Role of My Family in the Revolution (1971)
- The Batle of SutjeskaThe Battle of Sutjeska (film)The Battle of Sutjeska is a partisan film directed by Stipe Delić, and made in SFR Yugoslavia. It tells the story of the famous Battle of Sutjeska, the greatest engagement of the Yugoslav Partisan War. It is one of the most expensive films made in Yugoslavia.-Plot synopsis:Nazi-occupied Bosnia and...
(1973) - Acting Hamlet in the Village of Mrdusa DonjaActing Hamlet in the Village of Mrdusa DonjaActing Hamlet in the Village of Mrduša Donja is a 1974 Yugoslav drama film directed by Krsto Papić. It was entered into the 24th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Rade Šerbedžija as Joco / Hamlet* Milena Dravić as Anđa / Ofelija...
(1974) - Special TreatmentSpecial TreatmentSpecial Treatment is a 1980 Yugoslavian drama film directed by Goran Paskaljević. It was entered into the 1980 Cannes Film Festival where Milena Dravić won the award for Best Supporting Actress.-Cast:* Ljuba Tadić - Dr...
(1980) - Cabaret BalkanCabaret BalkanCabaret Balkan is a 1998 Serbian film directed by Goran Paskaljević starring Miki Manojlović and Nebojša Glogovac. Its original Serbian language title is Буре барута which means Powder Keg...
(1998) - Sky HookSky Hook (film)Sky Hook is a 2000 Yugoslavian film directed by Ljubiša Samardžić. It was Yugoslavia's submission to the 73rd Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.-See also:*Cinema of Yugoslavia...
(1999) - Love and Other CrimesLjubav i drugi zlociniLjubav i drugi zločini is a 2008 Serbian romantic comedy directed by Stefan Arsenijević, and written by Arsenijevic and Srđan Koljević. It translates into English as Love and Other Crimes, and stars Anica Dobra and Vuk Kostić. The film won Arsenijevic an award for Best Director at the 2008 Sofia...
(2008) - St. George Shoots the DragonSt. George Shoots the DragonSt. George Slays the Dragon is a Serbian World War I drama directed by Srđan Dragojević and written by Dušan Kovačević. The movie premiered on March 11, 2009....
(2009)
Personal
Milena Dravić has been married three times. Her current husband is Dragan Nikolić, a Serbian actor with whom she had co-hosted the popular 1970s television program Obraz uz obraz.External links
- Complete filmography at the Complete Index to World Film
- Interview with Milena Dravić at Nacional.hrNacional (weekly)Nacional is a Croatian weekly newsmagazine published in Zagreb.-History:Nacional was started in 1995 by Denis Kuljiš, Ivo Pukanić and other journalists dissatisfied with the editorial policies of Croatian weekly newspaper Globus. Both publications were hostile to the ruling HDZ government...
(3 March 2008) - Milena Dravić: Balkanska Ingrid Bergman