KARINA, ANNA

(1940- )

Actress and director. Born in Denmark as Hanne Karina Blarke Bayer, Anna Karina started her career as a model and then appeared in a Danish short by Ib Schmedes, titledPigen og Skoene. She left for Paris in 1958 and was offered the role of Patricia inJean-Luc Godard'sÀ bout de souffle(1960). She declined the role, however, and it was ultimately played by Jean Seberg. Karina and Godard married in 1961 and remained married until 1967. During that time, she starred in several of his films, includingVivre sa vie(1962),Le Petit soldat(1963),Bande à part(1964),Alphaville(1965),Pierrot le fou(1965), andMade in USA(1966).She won the Silver Berlin Bear for her performance in Godard'sUne femme est une femme(1961). Through her work with Godard, she became an icon of theNouvelle Vagueor New Wave, and worked on other films by New Wave directors, includingÉric Rohmerl'sCharlotte et son steak(1961) andJacques Rivette'sLa religieuse(1966) andHaut bas fragile(1995). She also played a small part inAgnès Varda'sCléo de 5 à 7(1962).

Karina has appeared in over seventy films, with leading roles inMichel Deville'sCe soir ou jamais(1961) andZàrtliche Haie(1967),René Clair'sLes Quatre Vérités(1962), Pierre Gaspard-Huit'sShéhérazade(1963), Carl Theodor Dreyer'sJoergen Roos(1964), Valerio Zurlini'sDes filles pour l'armée(1965), Jean Aurel'sLamiel(1967), Luchino Visconti'sLo straniero(1967), André Farwagi'sLe temps de mourir(1969), André Delvaux'sRendez-vous à Bray(1971), Franco Brusati'sPane e cioccolata(1972),Benoît Jacquot'sL'Assassin musicien(1974), and Jacques Richard'sAve Maria(1984). She was nominated for aCésarfor Best Supporting Actress in Richard Berry'sCayenne Palace(1987). More recently, she plays herself in Thierry Jousse'sNom de code:Sacha(2001). She also sings in Jonathan Demme'sThe Truth About Charlieand appears in Berry'sMoi César,10 ans Vi,1,39 m(2002). She directed one film,Vivre ensemble(1973).