Danijela Štajnfeld (; born 6 May 1984) is a Serbian award-winning actress and filmmaker of

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

and Rusyn origin. She rose to fame in Serbia with the 2005 film ''Ivko’s Feast''. Štajnfeld is a two-time recipient of the Best Actress Award. Štajnfeld expanded her career when she later moved to the

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

She started working as a director with her debut film ''Hold Me Right'', a documentary that focuses on sexual assault and its impact on survivors. ''Hold Me Right'' premiered at the

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on August 18, 2020, and gained much acclaim for its sense of empowerment. Originally, Štajnfeld did not intend to share her story, but only to give other people a platform to speak. Her story was included in the film after the rough cut was finished. Hold Me Right is a reflection of Štajnfeld’s journey of being a victim of sexual assault and the aftermath of it. In this film, she has not only highlighted her struggle but also included first-hand testimonies of other sexual assault survivors, but also the perpetrators, and the ripple effect of the tragedy enhanced by the culture of silence and indifference to the aftermath of trauma. On 22 March 2021, it was revealed that Štajnfeld accused Branislav Lečić, an actor and former

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of Serbia, as her rapist. Štajnfeld has also done stand-up in various comedy clubs in NYC.

Personal life

Štajnfeld lives and works in New York City.

Selected filmography

Television

Film

Theater

Awards

* Best actress of Belgrade Drama Theater for the role of Lena in “Disharmonija” * Best actress at Serbian National Drama Festival “Joakim Vujic”, for the role of Milena Pavlovic Barili in “Mesec u Plamenu”

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stajnfeld, Danijela 1984 births Living people People from Ruski Krstur Serbian television actresses Serbian people of Jewish descent Serbian people of Rusyn descent University of Arts in Belgrade alumni Oceanside International Film Festival award winners