Amira Casar

Early life

Amira Casar was born in London and raised in England, Ireland, and France. She studied drama at the Conservatoire National d'Art Dramatique de Paris between 1991 and 1994. She is fluent in English, Kurdish, and French and has also worked in German, Italian, and Spanish.

Career

Casar's first role was in the 1989 film ** (Error of Youth) by . She played Sandra Benzakhem in the 1997 film La Vérité si je mens !, for which she was nominated for a César Award for Most Promising Actress. She later appeared in the film's two sequels, in 2001 and 2012.

Casar portrayed Myriem in How I Killed My Father (2001) by Anne Fontaine; Assia Wevill in Sylvia (2003) by Christine Jeffs; the lead role of The Woman in the Catherine Breillat erotic film Anatomy of Hell (2004); and Eva in To Paint or Make Love (2005) by Arnaud and Jean-Marie Larrieu, which was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.

Other roles include Marianne in Hypnotized and Hysterical (2002), a film by which won the Grand Golden Rail at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival; Malvina van Stille in The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes by the Brothers Quay (2005); and Marie in Tony Gatlif's Transylvania in 2006.

In 2007, Casar appeared in installation artist Sophie Calle's Venice Biennale piece Prenez soin de vous (Take Care of Yourself).

In 2008, she played Dolorès in Laetitia Masson's **, and portrayed Irene in Werner Schroeter's last film, Nuit de chien. Casar played the lead role of Anna Di Baggio in the Éléonore Faucher film ** in 2009.

She won the Best Actress award at La Rochelle Television Film Festival for her portrayal of Dora Maar in ** in 2010. In 2011, Casar played Irène in **, and Deniz in Playoff. In 2013, she appeared in the Arnaud des Pallières film Michael Kohlhaas, and portrayed Anne-Marie Munoz in Bertrand Bonello's Saint Laurent in 2014.

In 2015, Casar appeared in* The Forbidden Room* by Canadian director Guy Maddin. and portrayed Béatrice, Madame de Clermont, in the TV series Versailles. In 2017, she played Annella Perlman in the film Call Me by Your Name. She also appeared in the 2019 Caroline Fourest film Sisters in Arms, about a team of female Kurdish soldiers and volunteers.

In 2022, Casar appeared in the film The Contractor. She portrayed Edith Frank, the mother of Anne Frank, in the 2023 Disney+ series A Small Light.

On stage, Casar's work includes the Almeida Theatre production of Aunt Dan and Lemon, the title role in Hedda Gabler at Le Petit Théâtre de Paris, and Olivier Py's 2009 production of Les Enfants de Saturne at the Theatre National de L'Odéon, Paris. In 2011, she appeared in the title role of Petra in The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, and received critical acclaim in Arthur Honegger's Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher at the Barbican Centre with the London Symphony Orchestra.

Casar also appeared in the 1995 Bryan Adams music video for "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?".

Filmography

Accolades

• 1998 – Nomination: César Award for Most Promising Actress for La Vérité si je mens !
• 2016 – Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters

References

References

1. Gorkow, Alexander. (1 December 2006). "AMIRA CASAR - ''032c'' Workshop". [[032c]].
2. Média, Prisma. (16 September 2014). "Amira Casar, l'élégance audacieuse". [[Gala (magazine).
3. (7 March 2017). "Le décor entre imaginaire et réel: trois questions à Amira Casar".
4. Mayorga, Emilio. (1 April 2016). "Series Mania TV Fest Unveils Jury Members". [[Variety (magazine).
5. Nesselson, Lisa. (16 February 2001). "''Would I Lie To You? 2''". Variety.
6. Mintzer, Jordan. (3 February 2012). "''Would I Lie to You 3'': Film Review". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
7. Schwarzbaum, Lisa. (6 September 2002). "''How I Killed My Father''".
8. Scott, A.O.. (17 October 2003). "Film Review: A Poet's Death, A Death's Poetry". [[The New York Times]].
9. Ebert, Roger. (11 November 2004). "Review of ''Anatomy of Hell''".
10. "Festival de Cannes: ''To Paint or Make Love''". [[2005 Cannes Film Festival]].
11. Nesselson, Lisa. (18 May 2002). "''Hypnotized and Hysterical, (Hairstylist Wanted)''". Variety.
12. Catsoulis, Jeannette. (17 November 2006). "Film in Review: ''The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes''". The New York Times.
13. "Festival de Cannes: ''Transylvania''". [[2006 Cannes Film Festival]].
14. "''Coupable'' (2008) – Leatitia Masson". Cinenews.be.
15. Weissberg, Jay. (7 September 2008). "Review: ''Tonight''". Variety.
16. Scheyé, Aurélia. (11 December 2009). "Amira Casar: 'Je n'ai pas de vanité dans mon métier". Version Femina.
17. (9 December 2010). "Fiction TV Festival La Rochelle 2010: Here is the winners list".
18. DeFore, John. (28 August 2011). "''Let My People Go!'': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
19. Harvey, Dennis. (31 August 2011). "''Playoff''". Variety.
20. Mintzer, Jordan. (5 July 2012). "''Playoff'': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
21. (2 January 2018). "''Michael Kohlhaas'': Festival de Cannes". [[2013 Cannes Film Festival]].
22. (2 January 2018). "''Age of Uprising: The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas''". [[BBC]].
23. Harvey, Dennis. (29 September 2015). "Film Review: ''The Forbidden Room''". Variety.
24. Gove, Ed. (21 April 2017). "Who's who in ''Versailles''? A guide to the French court". [[Royal Television Society]].
25. Deen, Sarah. (11 August 2016). "This is what the stars of BBC's ''Versailles'' look like when they're not in costume". [[Metro (British newspaper).
26. "Berlinale: Archive: Annual Archives: 2017: Programme – Call Me by Your Name". [[Berlin International Film Festival]].
27. Keslassy, Elsa. (11 January 2018). "Rising Stars Topline French Debut Feature About Female Kurdish Warriors". Variety.
28. (10 June 2022). "''A Small Light'': Amira Casar, Billie Boullet & Ashley Brooke Join Disney+ Limited Series". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
29. Wolf, Matt. (1999-05-31). "Aunt Dan and Lemon".
30. "Les Enfants de Saturne".
31. (1 October 2011). "''Les larmes amères...''. Un maelström passionnel". [[Le Télégramme]].
32. "''Les Larmes Ameres de Petra von Kant''".
33. Dreyfus, Alain. (10 March 2012). "J'ai fait surgir des fantômes avec Amira Casar". Lesinrock.com.
34. "Amira Casar". [[TV Guide]].
35. (31 March 2016). "Nomination dans l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres janvier 2016". Ministère de la Culture.