Florinda Bolkan
Florinda Bolkan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Florinda Soares Bulcão 15 February 1941 Uruburetama, Ceará, Brazil |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1968–2020 |
| Relatives | Willy Bogner Jr. (brother-in-law) |
| Website | florindabolkan |
Florinda Bolkan (born Florinda Soares Bulcão; 15 February 1941) is a retired Brazilian actress and model. She is best known for her acting work in Italy, where she twice won the David di Donatello for Best Actress, for The Anonymous Venetian (1970) and Dear Parents (1973).
Early life
Bolkan was born Florinda Soares Bulcão in Uruburetama. Her father José Pedro Soares Bulcão, commonly known as Soares Bulcão, was a renowned journalist and politician. She lived in Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro until she moved to the United States. A former flight inspector for Brazilian international carrier Varig, she became fluent in English, Italian and French.
Career
During the 1960s, Bolkan worked as a model in the United States. After being introduced to Italian Countess Marina Cicogna, who would become her long-time partner, she moved to Italy in 1968, where she made her film debut with a small part in the all-star sex comedy Candy (1968). Cicogna later introduced her to director Luchino Visconti,[1] who cast her in The Damned.
She worked in more than forty films, mainly in Italy. She was directed by Vittorio de Sica in A Brief Vacation.[2] Under Elio Petri's direction, she made Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion, which won both the 1970 Palme d'Or and the 1971 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Enrico Maria Salerno directed her in The Anonymous Venetian, which earned her first David di Donatello Award. She worked with Jean-Louis Trintignant, John Cassavetes, and Annie Girardot.
She acted in two giallo films directed by Lucio Fulci, A Lizard in a Woman's Skin[3] and Don't Torture a Duckling.[4]
Bolkan acted alongside Kirk Douglas in the 1972 Italian film, The Master Touch.[5]
Bolkan has won the David di Donatello award three times. She won the David di Donatello for the 1973 film Dear Parents.[6]
She appeared in 19 episodes of the Italian crime drama television series La piovra.
In 2000, Bolkan debuted as director in the Brazilian film Eu Não Conhecia Tururu. Besides directing, she also plays a major character in the film.[7] She continues to act in European films, mostly Italian films.
Personal life
Bolkan is bisexual. For 20 years, Bolkan was the life partner of film producer Countess Marina Cicogna.[8][9] She was an alleged lover of John F. Kennedy.[10][11] Helmut Berger writes in his autobiography Ich that he and Bolkan had an affair.[12] At various times, she was also romantically-linked to Ryan O'Neal, Richard Burton,[11] Porfirio Rubirosa, and Samuel Wainer.
Model Sônia Ribeiro, Bolkan's sister, married Willy Bogner Jr. in 1972.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
1968
|
Candy | Lolita | |
1969
|
The Damned | Olga | |
| A Complicated Girl | Greta | Special David di Donatello Award | |
| Metti, una sera a cena | Nina | ||
| Machine Gun McCain | Joni Amado | ||
| Le voleur de crimes | Florinda | ||
| Detective Belli | Vera Fontana | ||
| 1970 | Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion | Augusta Terzi | |
| Mafia Connection | Rossana Sciortino | ||
| The Anonymous Venetian | Valeria | David di Donatello Award for Best Actress | |
| Una stagione all'inferno | Gennet | ||
| 1971 | The Last Valley | Erica | |
| A Lizard in a Woman's Skin | Carol Hammond | ||
| Incontro | Claudia Ridolfi | ||
| 1972 | Le droit d'aimer | Helena | |
| Don't Torture a Duckling | Maciara | ||
| The Master Touch | Anna | ||
| 1973 | Dear Parents | Giulia Bonanni | David di Donatello Award for Best Actress |
| A Brief Vacation | Clara Mataro | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress New York Film Critics Circle Awards (2nd Place) | |
| 1974 | Love at the Top | Flora Danieli | |
| Flavia the Heretic | Flavia Gaetani | ||
| 1975 | Footprints on the Moon | Alice Cespi | |
| Royal Flash | Lola Montez | ||
| The Day That Shook the World | Sophie Chotek | ||
1976
|
A Common Sense of Modesty | Loredana Davoli | |
| 1978 | Die Wölfin vom Teufelsmoor | Walpurga | |
| The Last House on the Beach | Sister Cristina | ||
1979
|
Manaos | Manuela Aranda | |
1981
|
Habibi, amor mío | ||
| 1983 | Acqua e sapone | Wilma Walsh | |
| Legati da tenera amicizia | Adelaide | ||
1985
|
The Trap | Hélène | |
| 1988 | Some Girls | Mrs. D'Arc | |
| Prisoner of Rio | Stella | ||
1989
|
Portaritratto per signora | ||
1991
|
Millions | Margherita | |
1994
|
Delitto passionale | Julia Yancheva | |
1995
|
L'ombre du pharaon | ||
1998
|
Bela Donna | Mãe Ana | |
2000
|
Eu Não Conhecia Tururu | Eleonora | Also writer, producer & director Nominated – Golden Kikito Award for Best Film |
2003
|
Cattive inclinazioni | Mirta Valenti | |
2020
|
Magari | Olga |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
1978
|
The Word | Angela Monti | Miniseries |
1984-86, 1995
|
La piovra | Olga Camastra | 19 episodes |
| 1986 | Affari di famiglia | Lina Benetti | Television film |
1987
|
A Rainha da Vida | Antônia Fidalgo / Jurema Matos | |
1989
|
La trappola | ||
1990
|
Mademoiselle Ardel | Bianca di Falco | |
1992
|
Missione d'amore | Helena | |
| 1993 | Cherchez la femme | Giovanna Bellocchi | |
| La voyageuse du soir | La baronne | ||
1995
|
L'ombra abitata | Mme Labronsky | |
1998
|
Alice auf der Flucht | Elisabetta Mancini | Miniseries |
1999
|
Shadows | Kalantan | Television film |
2000
|
Un bacio nel buio | Aldina | |
2002
|
Incantesimo | Corinne Grasso | |
2005
|
La notte breve | Magistrato | Television film |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Institution | Award / Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | David di Donatello Awards | Golden Plate | Won | |
| Won | ||||
| 1971 | David di Donatello Award for Best Actress | Won | ||
| 1973 | Won | |||
| 1975 | New York Film Critics Circle Awards | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress | Una breve vacanza | Runner-up |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress | Won | ||
| 2000 | Gramado Film Festival | Golden Kikito Award for Best Film | Eu Não Conhecia Tururu
|
Nominated |
| 2002 | Roseto First Work Festival | Career Rose | N/a | Won |
References
- ^ "The High Life". W Magazine. 1 April 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ Sayre, Nora (10 February 1975). "Una Breve Vacanza (1973)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014.
- ^ Jones, Rupert (1 September 2003). "Raw dogs". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
- ^ "Don't Torture a Duckling". Bloody Disgusting. 22 October 2004. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
- ^ Bush, John (2015). "The Master Touch". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 13 February 2015.
- ^ Lancia, Enrico (1998). I premi del cinema, 1927-1997 (in Italian). Preface by Claudio G. Fava. Rome: Gremese. ISBN 88-7742-221-1.
- ^ Araújo, Luís Edmundo. "Florinda filma o Ceará" (in Portuguese). Isto É Gente. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
- ^ Obituary for Countess Marina Cicogna; 31 October 2013; accessed 11 June 2014.
- ^ Williams, Alex (10 November 2023). "Marina Cicogna, Italy's First Major Female Film Producer, Dies at 89". The New York Times.
- ^ Hoberman, J. (14 May 2020). "A Cop Gets Away With Murder, Italian Style". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Last Drive-In Season 7: Don't Torture a Duckling and Don't Go in the Woods - JOE BOB BRIGGS". joebobbriggs.com. 6 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ Ich. Die Autobiographie: Unter Mitarbeit von Holde Heuer (in German). hey!. 9 January 2013. ASIN B00AYYKBP6.