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

Early life

Mirjana Karanović was born on 28 January 1957 in

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

. Her father Miloje was a soldier, and her mother Radmila (1932 — 2023) was a tailor.

Acting career

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

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

n film '' Svjedoci'' (''Witnesses''). She was the first actor from

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

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 Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

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. In 2013, Mirjana Karanović appeared in Greek-Serbian co production ''The Tree and the Swing'' (aka ''A Place Called Home'') by Greek film director Maria Douza, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress Award by the Hellenic Film Academy in 2014. In the film she plays Nina, the daughter of Greek refugee Kyriakos Karapanos ( Elias Logothetis).

Activism

Karanović has been an active supporter of LGBT rights. 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. In 2017, Karanović has signed the Declaration on the Common Language of the

Croats The Croats (; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other neighboring countries in Central Europe, Central and Southeastern Europe who share a common Croatian Cultural heritage, ancest ...

, Serbs, Bosniaks and Montenegrins.

Personal life

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

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Karanovic, Mirjana 1957 births Living people 20th-century Serbian actresses 21st-century Serbian actresses 20th-century Serbian writers 21st-century Serbian writers Actresses from Belgrade Serbian actresses Serbian film directors Serbian theatre directors Serbian women theatre directors Serbian television directors Serbian film actresses Serbian television actresses Serbian stage actresses Serbian voice actresses Serbian screenwriters Serbian LGBTQ rights activists Golden Arena winners Signatories of the Declaration on the Common Language Žanka Stokić award winners Croatian Theatre Award winners Theatre people from Belgrade Women television directors