Mirjana Karanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Мирјана Карановић; born 28 January 1957) is a Serbian actress, film director and screenwriter. Considered one of the best Serbian and Yugoslavian actresses of all time,[1] she is probably the best known for her performance in her debut film Petria's Wreath (Petrijin venac), as well as for her frequent collaborations with film directors Emir Kusturica and Jasmila Žbanić. Karanović received international acclaim and a nomination for European Film Award for Best Actress for her role in Žbanić's Grbavica.

Mirjana Karanović
Мирјана Карановић
Mirjana Karanović at 2017 Berlinale
Born (1957-01-28) 28 January 1957 (age 67)
NationalitySerbian
EducationFaculty of Dramatic Arts
Alma materUniversity of Arts in Belgrade
Occupation(s)Actress, film director, screenwriter, activist
Years active1980–present

Karanović's directorial debut, A Good Wife (Dobra žena), had its world premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.

Early life

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Mirjana Karanović was born on 28 January 1957 in Belgrade. Her father Miloje was a soldier, and her mother Radmila (1932 — 2023) was a tailor.

Acting career

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She made her screen debut in the 1980 film Petrijin venac ("Petrija's Wreath"), earning accolades for her portrayal of an illiterate Serbian woman. She is best known to international audiences for her portrayal of the mother in the 1985 film When Father Was Away on Business.

In 1995, she appeared in the film Underground, directed by famous Serbian director Emir Kusturica.

In 2003, Mirjana Karanović again made history by appearing in Croatian film Svjedoci (Witnesses). She was the first actor from Serbia to appear in a Croatian film since the breakup of Yugoslavia. In the film, she played a Croatian war widow.

In 2005, she appeared in the film Grbavica by the Bosnian director Jasmila Žbanić, in which she played a Muslim woman who had to come to terms with her teenage daughter regarding the nature of her birth. In this film, she portrays a rape victim abused by Serbs during the Bosnian War.

Activism

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Karanović has been an active supporter of LGBT rights.[2] She is one of the founders of Incest Trauma Center, which provides psychological assistance to child and adult survivors of sexual violence and their supportive persons.[3]

In 2017, Karanović has signed the Declaration on the Common Language of the Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks and Montenegrins.[4]

Personal life

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Karanović was never married and she doesn't have children. She is an atheist.

In 2004, she dated Bosnian actor Ermin Bravo, who is 22 years her junior.

Filmography

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Title Translated title Year Role Notes
Petrijin venac Petria's Wreath 1980 Petrija
Majstori, majstori All That Jacks 1980 Dunja
Pad Italije The Fall of Italy 1981 Mare
Topola s terase 1981 Ana TV film
Stari Beograd 1981 Girl TV film
Slučaj Bogoljuba Savkovića Livca 1981 Girl Short film
Bila jednom ljubav jedna 1981 Rich lady TV film
Dvije polovine srca 1982 Mother
Kazivanja 1982 TV short
Beograd, nekad i sad 1982 Ljuba / Buba / Ingrid TV film
Imenjaci 1983 TV series, 1 episode
Kamiondžije opet voze 1984 Alapača TV series, 1 episode
Provincija u pozadini 1984 TV film
Bele udovice 1984 TV film
Otac na službenom putu When Father Was Away on Business 1985 Senija
Život je lep Life Is Beautiful 1985 Auto-stopper
Tombola 1985 Olga TV film
Rodoljupci 1986 Zelenićka TV film
Pokondirena tikva 1986 Fema TV film
Obećana zemlja The Promised Land 1986 Marta
Uvek spremne žene 1987 Majstor
Marjuča ili smrt Marjuča, or Death 1987 Marjuča
Na putu za Katangu On the Road to Katanga 1987 Žana
The Fortunate Pilgrim 1988 Clara TV miniseries
Dom Bergmanovih 1988 Ana TV film
Srce i njena deca 1988 Srce Also known as Jednog lepog dana
Vreme čuda Time of Miracles 1989 Marta
Sabirni centar The Meeting Point 1989 Jelena Katić
The Legendary Life of Ernest Hemingway 1989
Seobe 2 1989 Evdokija Božić
Vreme čuda Time of Miracles 1989 Marta TV miniseries
Stremnicka 1989 Isidora Sekulić TV film
Holivud ili propast 1990 TV film
Mala The Little One 1991 Božidarka
Bolje od bekstva Better Than Escape 1993 Radmila
Fazoni i fore 1993 Alapača TV series
Buket 1993 Short film
Otvorena vrata Open Door 1994 Žana TV series, 1 episode
Podzemlje Underground 1995 Vera Popara
Bila jednom jedna zemlja Underground 1996 Vera Popara TV miniseries
Tri letnja dana Three Summer Days 1997 Landowner
Kod lude ptice 1998 Guest TV series, 1 episode
Tri palme za dve bitange i ribicu Three Palms for Two Punks and a Babe 1998 Headmistress
Bure baruta Cabaret Balkan 1998 Natalija
Porodično blago 1998 Suzana TV series, 1998–99
Forma formalina 1999 Mother Short film
Fazoni i fore 2 2002 Alapača TV series
Netaknuti sunce 2002 Mother Short film
Jagoda u supermarketu Strawberries in the Supermarket 2003 The owner of the supermarket
Svjedoci Witnesses 2003 Mother
Tragom Karađorđa 2004 Marica TV miniseries
Život je čudo Life Is a Miracle 2004 Nada
Stižu dolari The Dollars Are Coming 2004 Nevenka Krstić TV series, 2004–06
Go West 2005 Ranka
Grbavica 2006 Esma
Das Fräulein 2006 Ruža
Blodsbånd Mirush 2007 Hava
Tegla puna vazduha 2007 Ljubica TV film
Ono naše što nekad bejaše 2007 Atanasov's wife TV series
Bela lađa White Ship 2008 Luja Pantić TV series
Vratiće se rode The Storks Will Return 2007 Radmila Švabić TV series, 2007–08
Tamo i ovde Here and There 2009 Olga
Neko me ipak čeka 2009 Mother TV film
Čekaj me, ja sigurno neću doći Wait for Me and I Will Not Come 2009 Anđa
Na putu On the Path 2010 Nađa
Torta sa čokoladom Chocolate Cake 2010 Višnja Short film
1000 Gramm 2011 Damil's mother Short film
Crna Zorica Loveless Zorica 2012 Petrana
Smrt čoveka na Balkanu Death of a Man in the Balkans 2012 Buyer
Vir The Whirl 2012 Inspector
To dentro kai i kounia A Place Called Home 2013 Nina
Spomenik Majklu Džeksonu Monument to Michael Jackson 2014 Darinka
Kosac The Reaper 2014 Mirjana
Cure: The Life of Another 2014 Grandmother
Jednaki 2014 Nina Segment: "Katarina"
Tri Dritare dhe një Varje Three Windows and a Hanging 2014 Maria / The journalist
Urgentni centar ER 2015 Jasmina Ilić TV series, 1 episode
Pored mene Next to Me 2015 Headmistress
Dobra žena A Good Wife 2016 Milena Also director and writer
Herostrat 2016 Short film
Sumnjiva lica 2016 Tina TV series
Dnevnik mašinovođe Train Driver's Diary 2016 Jagoda
Ubice mog oca 2016 Chief Inspector Obradović TV series
Rekvijem za gospođu J. Requiem for Mrs. J. 2017 Mrs. J

Awards and nominations

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Award Year Category Nominated work Result
Art Film Fest 2007 Actor's Mission Award Won
Brussels Film Festival 2006 Best Actress Grbavica Won
Cairo International Film Festival 2016 Golden Pyramid A Good Wife Nominated
Chlotrudis Awards 2008 Best Actress Grbavica Nominated
Cleveland International Film Festival 2016 Best Film in the Eastern European Competition A Good Wife Won
European Film Awards 2006 Best Actress Grbavica Nominated
FEST Belgrade International Film Festival 2016 Best Actress A Good Wife Won
2017 Requiem for Mrs. J. Won
Gothenburg Film Festival 2016 International Debut Award A Good Wife Nominated
Hellenic Film Academy Awards 2014 Best Supporting Actress A Place Called Home Nominated
Motovun Film Festival 2016 FIPRESCI Award A Good Wife Won
Pula Film Festival 1980 Best Actress Petria's Wreath Won
1985 When Father Was Away on Business Won
Skopje Film Festival 2016 Best Film in the Balkan Selection A Good Wife Nominated
SOFEST Sopot Film Festival 2013 Best Actress The Whirl Won[5]
Sundance Film Festival 2016 Grand Jury Prize (World Cinema – Dramatic) A Good Wife Nominated
Trophées Francophones du Cinema 2015 Best Supporting Actress A Place Called Home Nominated
Žanka Stokić Award 2011 Outstanding Contribution to Film, Television and Theatre Won[6]
Dobričin Prsten Award 2019 Outstanding Contribution to Theatre Lifetime achievement Won[7]

References

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  1. ^ Agić, Jasmin (19 August 2016). "Mirjana Karanović: Moj film neće promijeniti ljude". Al Jazeera Balkans (in Bosnian). Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  2. ^ "Porodica i društvo izgubili bitku". Gay-Serbia.com (in Serbian). 12 October 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  3. ^ "Incest Trauma Center". Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  4. ^ Derk, Denis (28 March 2017). "Donosi se Deklaracija o zajedničkom jeziku Hrvata, Srba, Bošnjaka i Crnogoraca" [A Declaration on the Common Language of Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks and Montenegrins is About to Appear]. Večernji list (in Serbo-Croatian). Zagreb. pp. 6–7. ISSN 0350-5006. Archived from the original on 20 September 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  5. ^ Nježić, Tatjana (8 July 2013). "Mirjana Karanović: Ovo vreme iskušava našu savest". Blic (in Serbian). Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  6. ^ "Mirjani Karanović "Žanka Stokić"". Politika (in Serbian). 5 March 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  7. ^ "Mirjani Karanović nagrada "Dobričin prsten"" ["Dobričin prsten" for Mirjana Karanović]. Politika (in Serbian). 11 December 2019. p. 13.
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