Milena Dravić

Biography

Born in Belgrade, Serbia, Dravić became involved with performing arts at the age of four via her parents enrolling her in a dance program. She would later switch to classical ballet.

In 1959, still a high school student, Dravić got spotted by director František Čáp{{cite web|url=https://www.jutarnji.hr/vijesti/povratak-frantiseka-capa-prvog-gay-sikaniranog-filmasa-u-jugoslaviji/2314781/|title=Povratak Františeka Čapa, prvog gay šikaniranog filmaša u Jugoslaviji

Her big break came in 1962 in Branko Bauer's Prekobrojna for which she won the Golden Arena for Best Actress (Yugoslav equivalent of an Academy Award). The memorable role, as well as the much-publicized accolade, propelled her to becoming Yugoslavia's first and arguably biggest female movie star. She was a recipient of five Silver arenas (for supporting actress roles) and 2 Golden arenas (for leading actress roles).

Milena Dravić's career was long, prolific, and versatile. She was memorable and believable, whether as the tragic heroine in state-sponsored World War II epics, the eccentric protagonist of experimental arthouse films like WR: Mysteries of the Organism or in romantic comedies. She especially excelled in the latter during the 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.

On 15 December 2017 she was honored with the Dobričin prsten lifetime achievement award in Belgrade.

Personal life

Milena Dravić was married three times. Her third husband was the prominent Serbian actor Dragan Nikolić, with whom she had co-hosted the popular 1970s television program Obraz uz obraz.

Death

She died on 14 October 2018, after a long battle with illness.

Selected filmography

• Vrata ostaju otvorena (1959) – Marija ... Petrova sestra
• Dilizansa snova (1960) – Evica
• Zajednicki stan (1960) – Ljubica
• Bolje je umeti (1960) – Jola
• The First Fires (1961) – Hajra
• Leto je krivo za sve (1961) – Natalija
• Kozara (1962) – Milja
• Prekobrojna (1962) – Ranka
• Pesceni grad (1962) – Milena
• Radopolje (1963) – Mrvica
• Destination Death (1964) – Seja
• Sluzbeni polozaj (1964) – Zora
• Lito vilovito (1964) – Mare
• Narodni poslanik (1964) – Danica
• Man is Not a Bird (1965) – Rajka
• Devojka (1965) – Devojka
• Klakson (1965) – Jana
• Covik od svita (1965) – Visnja
• The Camp Followers (1965) – Aspasia Anastasiou
• Rondo (1966) – Neda
• Do pobedata i po nea (1966) – Momata
• Looking Into the Eyes of the Sun (1966)
• Sticenik (1966) – Herself
• Zgodba ki je ni (1967) – Uciteljica
• Nemirni (1967) – Zorica
• The Morning (1967) – Aleksandra
• Dim (1967) – Devojka
• Hasanaginica (1967) – Hasanaginica
• Sirota Marija (1968) – Marija
• Sedmina (1969) – Filomena
• Zaseda (1969) – Milica
• Horoskop (1969) – Milka
• Cross Country (1969) – Jovana
• The Battle of Neretva (1969) – Nada
• Biciklisti (1970) – Sara
• Touha zvaná Anada (1971) – Zuzka
• W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism (1971) – Milena
• The Role of My Family in the Revolution (1971) – Devojka
• Makedonski del od pekolot (1971) – Velika
• Ko pride lev (1972) – Mihaela
• The Battle of Sutjeska (1973) – Vera
• Pjegava djevojka (1973) – Katy
• Samrtno prolece (1973) – Veronika Djakovic
• Deps (1974) – Depsova djevojka Janja
• A Performance of Hamlet in the Village of Mrdusa Donja (1974) – Andja / Ofelija
• Strah (1974) – Karolina
• Pavle Pavlovic (1975) – Adela
• Povratak otpisanih (1976) – Lula Mitricevic
• Izvinjavamo se, mnogo se izvinjavamo (1976) - Borka
• Group Portrait with a Lady (1977) – Schwester Klementine
• Ljubavni zivot Budimira Trajkovica (1977) – Lepa Trajkovic
• Tamo i natrag (1978) – Rada Jovanovic
• Kvar (1978) – Sasina ljubavnica
• Trener (1978) – Petrova bivsa zena
• Povratak (1979) – Roza
• Special Treatment (1980) – Kaca
• Osam kila srece (1980)
• Rad na odredjeno vreme (1980) – Svetlana
• Snovi, zivot, smrt Filipa Filipovica (1980)
• Sesta brzina (1981) – Gvozdenka
• Laf u srcu (1981) – Savina zena
• Nedeljni rucak (1982) – Sofija Arandjelovic
• Moj tata na odredjeno vreme (1982) – Svetlana
• Covek sa cetiri noge (1983) – Nada Jovanovic
• Secerna vodica (1983) – Ana
• Una (1984) – Miselova zena
• Horvat’s Choice (1985) – Marijana Margitic
• Nije lako sa muskarcima (1985) – Gordana Diklic
• Anticasanova (1985) – Asja
• Na istarski nacin (1985)
• Osveta (1986) – Nada Pekar
• Razvod na odredjeno vreme (1986) – Svetlana Milanovic
• Lijepe zene prolaze kroz grad (1986) – Rahela
• Dogodilo se na danasnji dan (1987) – Nastavnica
• Cavka (1988) – Nastavnica
• The Dark Side of the Sun (1988) – Mother
• Spijun na stiklama (1988) – Livadinka Kukuric
• Najbolji (1989) – Ninkova majka
• Battle of Kosovo (1989) – Velislava
• Cudna noc (1990)
• Sekula se opet zeni (1991) – Sojka
• Policajac sa Petlovog brda (1992) – Vera
• Treca sreca (1995) – Prorocica Antilopa
• Three Summer Days (1997) – Kaja
• Cabaret Balkan (1998) – The Lady on the Bus with the Hat and Fox Stole
• Sky Hook (2000) – Danka
• Normalni ljudi (2001) – Tomina tetka
• Boomerang (2001) – Gospodja Jeftic
• Zona Zamfirova (2002) – Tasana
• Ledina (2003) – Zorica
• Sjaj u ocima (2003) – Vlasnica agencije
• Lost and Found (2005) – Vera (segment "Fabulous Vera")
• Agi i Ema (2007) – Ema
• Crazy, Confused, Normal (2007–2015, TV Series) – Spomenka Vihorec
• Love and Other Crimes (2008) – Majka
• St. George Shoots the Dragon (2009) – Tetka Slavka
• The village is burning, and the grandmother is combing her hair (2009, TV Series) – Direktorka banke

References

References

1. [https://efilatelija.posta.rs/wordpress/en/product/velikani-srpskog-glumista/ Doyens of Serbian Acting]. posta.rs
2. Richard Taylor, Nancy Wood, Julian Graffy, Dina Iordanova. (2019). "The BFI Companion to Eastern European and Russian Cinema". Bloomsbury.
3. "Milena Dravić – Biography". IMDb.
4. "Milena Dravić – awards". Pula filmski festival.
5. "Awards". Festival Cannes.
6. (22 August 2012). "Marko Nikolić dobitnik "Pavle Vujisić"". Vreme.
7. (15 December 2017). "(FOTO) Mileni Dravić dodeljen "Dobričin prsten"!". Republika.
8. (14 October 2018). "Преминула Милена Дравић". politika.rs.