Sofija "Soja" Jovanović ( sr-Cyrl, Соја Јовановић, ; 1 February 1922 – 22 April 2002) was the first Serbian and Yugoslav female film director, noted for her work in

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

, TV and film productions.

Biography

After studying at the Theater Department of the

Belgrade Music Academy The University of Arts in Belgrade ( sr-cyr, Универзитет уметности у Београду, Univerzitet umetnosti u Beogradu) is a public university in Serbia. It was founded in 1957 as the Academy of Arts to unite four academies. ...

, her first success was the stage production of

Branislav Nušić Branislav Nušić ( sr-cyr, Бранислав Нушић, ; – 19 January 1938) was a Serbian playwright, satirist, essayist, novelist and founder of modern rhetoric in Serbia. He also worked as a journalist and a civil servant. Life Br ...

's play ''A Suspicious Character ( sr, Sumnjivo lice)'' in 1948, for which she was awarded at the Festival of Academy Theaters of Yugoslavia. Apart from theater productions, she also directed a number of films, mostly based on comedies written by

Jovan Sterija Popović Jovan Sterija Popović (; sr-cyr, Јован Стерија Поповић; 13 January 1806 – 10 March 1856) was a Serbian playwright, poet, lawyer, philosopher and pedagogue who taught at the Belgrade Higher School. Sterija was recognized by ...

Stevan Sremac Stevan Sremac ( sr-cyr, Стеван Сремац, ; 11 November 1855 – 13 August 1906) was a Serbian realist and comedy writer. He is considered one of the best truly humorous Serbian writers. Biography Stevan Sremac was born in Senta in ...

and

Branko Ćopić Branko Ćopić ( sr-cyrl, Бранко Ћопић, ; 1 January 1915 – 26 March 1984) was a Serbian, Bosnian and Yugoslavian writer. He wrote poetry, short stories and novels, and became famous for his stories for children and young adults, oft ...

. Her first film was ''A Suspicious Character'' in 1954 which she co-directed with Predrag Dinulović. In 1957 she directed '' Priests Ćira and Spira'', which was the first Yugoslavian feature film shot in color and for which she won the

Golden Arena for Best Director The Golden Arena for Best Director ''( Croatian: Zlatna arena za režiju'') is an award given for best director at the Pula Film Festival, which was until 1992 the Yugoslav equivalent of the Academy Awards. Since 1992 and the breakup of Yugosl ...

at the 1957

Pula Film Festival Pula Film Festival ( hr, Pulski filmski festival) is an annual Croatian film festival, established in 1954. It is held in a Roman amphitheater known as the Pula Arena. Pula Film Festival is the oldest Croatian film festival and is usually held ...

. She also directed a number of TV films and

radio drama Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...

s produced by

Radio Television Belgrade Radio Television of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, Радио-телевизија Србије, sr-Lat, Radio-televizija Srbije, italics=yes; abbr. RTS/PTC) is Serbia's public broadcaster. It broadcasts and produces news, drama, and sports programming thro ...

until the early 1980s when she retired.

Filmography

* ''A Suspicious Character'' (''Sumnjivo lice'', 1954) * '' Priests Ćira and Spira'' (''Pop Ćira i pop Spira'', 1957) * ''The Dreams Came by Coach'' (''Diližansa snova'', 1960) * Dr (1962) * Put oko sveta (1964) * '' Eagles Fly Early'' (''Orlovi rano lete'', 1966) * Pusti snovi (1968) * Silom otac (1969)

External links

* 1922 births 2002 deaths Serbian film directors Serbian women film directors Golden Arena for Best Director winners Yugoslav film directors Theatre people from Belgrade Film people from Belgrade {{Serbia-film-director-stub