Mai Zetterling

Mai Zetterling

Born May 24, 1925 (Age: 100) Västerås, Västmanlands län, Sweden

Biography

Mai Elisabeth Zetterling ( May 24, 1925 – March 17, 1994) was a Swedish actress and film director. She began directing in the early 1960s, starting with political documentaries and a short film called The War Game (1962), which was nominated for a BAFTA award, and won a Silver Lion at Venice. Her first feature film Älskande par (1964, "Loving Couples"), based on the novels of Agnes von Krusenstjerna, was banned at the Cannes Film Festival for its sexual explicitness and nudity. Kenneth Tynan of The Observer later called it "one of the most ambitious debuts since Citizen Kane." It was not the only film she made that would stir up controversy for its frank sexuality (early pioneer on voyeurism). When critics reviewing her debut feature said that "Mai Zetterling directs like a man," she began to explore feminist themes more explicitly in her work. The Girls, which had an all-star Swedish cast including Bibi Andersson and Harriet Andersson, discussed women's liberation (or lack thereof) in a society controlled by men, as the protagonists compare their lives to characters in the play Lysistrata, and find that things have not progressed very much for women since ancient times.
Mai Elisabeth Zetterling ( May 24, 1925 – March 17, 1994) was a Swedish actress and film director. She began directing in the early 1960s, starting with political documentaries and a short film called The War Game (1962), which was nominated for a BAFTA award, and won a Silver Lion at Venice. Her first feature film Älskande par (1964, "Loving Couples"), based on the novels of Agnes von Krusenstjerna, was banned at the Cannes Film Festival for its sexual explicitness and nudity. Kenneth Tynan of The Observer later called it "one of the most ambitious debuts since Citizen Kane." It was not the only film she made that would stir up controversy for its frank sexuality (early pioneer on voyeurism). When critics reviewing her debut feature said that "Mai Zetterling directs like a man," she began to explore feminist themes more explicitly in her work. The Girls, which had an all-star Swedish cast including Bibi Andersson and Harriet Andersson, discussed women's liberation (or lack thereof) in a society controlled by men, as the protagonists compare their lives to characters in the play Lysistrata, and find that things have not progressed very much for women since ancient times.
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Filmography

Meeting with Mai

Meeting with Mai

1996 as Age: 70
Minns ni?

Minns ni?

1993 as (archive footage) Age: 68
Morfars resa

Morfars resa

1993 as Elin Fromm Age: 67
Sellers' Best

Sellers' Best

1992 as Self Age: 66
Hidden Agenda

Hidden Agenda

1990 as Moa Age: 65
The Witches

The Witches

1990 as Helga Eveshim Age: 65
The Making of 'Hidden Agenda'

The Making of 'Hidden Agenda'

1990 as Self Age: 64
Maybe I Really Am a Sorceress

Maybe I Really Am a Sorceress

1989 as Self Age: 64
Calling the Shots

Calling the Shots

1988 as Self Age: 63
No Image

Stulet nyår

1978 as Gerda Age: 52
Mai Zetterling's Stockholm

Mai Zetterling's Stockholm

1978 as Age: 52
My Heart Is Red

My Heart Is Red

1977 as Nietzsche Age: 51
Visions of Eight

Visions of Eight

1973 as Narrator Age: 48
Lianbron

Lianbron

1965 as Age: 39
The Man Who Finally Died

The Man Who Finally Died

1963 as Lisa von Deutsch Age: 38
The Bay of St. Michel

The Bay of St. Michel

1963 as Age: 37
The Main Attraction

The Main Attraction

1962 as Gina Age: 37
Only Two Can Play

Only Two Can Play

1962 as Liz Age: 36
No Image

Lords of Little Egypt: Mai Zetterling Among the Gypsies

1961 as Age: 35
Offbeat

Offbeat

1961 as Ruth Lombard Age: 35
Faces in the Dark

Faces in the Dark

1960 as Christiane Hammond Age: 35
Piccadilly Third Stop

Piccadilly Third Stop

1960 as Christine Preedy Age: 35
Jet Storm

Jet Storm

1959 as Carol Tilley Age: 34
No Image

The Traitor

1959 as Frau Caypor Age: 34
Playing on the Rainbow

Playing on the Rainbow

1958 as Age: 33
The Master Builder

The Master Builder

1958 as Hilda Wangel Age: 32
Ett dockhem

Ett dockhem

1956 as Gurli Pall Age: 30
A Prize of Gold

A Prize of Gold

1955 as Maria Age: 30
Dance Little Lady

Dance Little Lady

1954 as Nina Gordon Age: 29
Knock on Wood

Knock on Wood

1954 as Ilse Nordstrom Age: 28
Desperate Moment

Desperate Moment

1953 as Anna DeBurg Age: 27
Lasse-Maja

Lasse-Maja

1941 as Fanny Age: 16