Mai Zetterling
Known for Acting · 63 credits
- Born
- 1925-05-24
- Died
- 1994-03-17
- Place of birth
- Västerås, Västmanlands län, Sweden
- Also known as
- Maj Zetterling · Mai Elizabeth Zetterling · مای زترلینگ
Biography
Mai Elisabeth Zetterling ( May 24, 1925 – March 17, 1994) was a Swedish actress and film director.
She began directing in the early 1960s, starting with political documentaries and a short film called The War Game (1962), which was nominated for a BAFTA award, and won a Silver Lion at Venice. Her first feature film Älskande par (1964, "Loving Couples"), based on the novels of Agnes von Krusenstjerna, was banned at the Cannes Film Festival for its sexual explicitness and nudity. Kenneth Tynan of The Observer later called it "one of the most ambitious debuts since Citizen Kane." It was not the only film she made that would stir up controversy for its frank sexuality (early pioneer on voyeurism).
When critics reviewing her debut feature said that "Mai Zetterling directs like a man," she began to explore feminist themes more explicitly in her work. The Girls, which had an all-star Swedish cast including Bibi Andersson and Harriet Andersson, discussed women's liberation (or lack thereof) in a society controlled by men, as the protagonists compare their lives to characters in the play Lysistrata, and find that things have not progressed very much for women since ancient times.
Known For
TV Shows (8)
Movies (55)
The Witches
1990
as Helga Eveshim
Hidden Agenda
1990
as Moa
Quartet
1948
as Jeanne (segment "The Facts of Life")
The Traitor
1959
as Frau Caypor
Morfars resa
1993
as Elin Fromm
Iris and the Lieutenant
1946
as Iris Mattson
The Man Who Finally Died
1963
as Lisa von Deutsch
A Prize of Gold
1955
as Maria
Torment
1944
as Bertha Olsson
Seven Waves Away
1957
as Nurse Julie White
Calling the Shots
1988
as Self
Prejudice and Pride: Swedish Film Queer
2022
as Self (archive footage)
Music in Darkness
1948
as Ingrid Olofsson
Prince Gustaf
1944
as Anna Maria Wastenius
Knock on Wood
1954
as Ilse Nordstrom
The Ringer
1952
as Lisa
Frieda
1947
as Frieda
Blackmailed
1951
as Mrs. Carol Edwards
Tall Headlines
1952
as Doris Rickardson
Minns ni?
1993
as (archive footage)
Only Two Can Play
1962
as Liz
Visions of Eight
1973
as Narrator
Desperate Moment
1953
as Anna DeBurg
Jet Storm
1959
as Carol Tilley
The Truth About Women
1957
as Julie Eaton
The Lost People
1949
as Lily
The Main Attraction
1962
as Gina
The Bad Lord Byron
1949
as Teresa Guiccioli
Lords of Little Egypt: Mai Zetterling Among the Gypsies
1961
Sunshine Follows Rain
1946
as Marit Germundsdotter
Piccadilly Third Stop
1960
as Christine Preedy
Playing on the Rainbow
1958
Portrait from Life
1948
as Lidia
Faces in the Dark
1960
as Christiane Hammond
Life Starts Now
1948
as Vera Ullman
Regissören: En film om Mai Zetterling
2015
as Self (archival footage)
Maybe I Really Am a Sorceress
1989
as Self
Dance Little Lady
1954
as Nina Gordon
Offbeat
1961
as Ruth Lombard
My Heart Is Red
1977
as Nietzsche
The Making of 'Hidden Agenda'
1990
as Self
Jag dräpte
1943
as Miss Peters
Hell Is Sold Out
1951
as Valerie Martin
Meeting with Mai
1996
Lianbron
1965
Ett dockhem
1956
as Gurli Pall
The Master Builder
1958
as Hilda Wangel
Sellers' Best
1992
as Self
Stulet nyår
1978
as Gerda
The Bay of St. Michel
1963
The Romantic Age
1949
as Arlette Tessereau
Lasse-Maja
1941
as Fanny
The Polite Invasion
Mai Zetterling's Stockholm
1978
We Have Many Names
1976
as Lena
About Mai Zetterling
Mai Elisabeth Zetterling ( May 24, 1925 – March 17, 1994) was a Swedish actress and film director. She began directing in the early 1960s, starting with political documentaries and a short film called The War Game (1962), which was nominated for a BAFTA award, and won a Silver Lion at Venice. Her first feature film Älskande par (1964, "Loving Couples"), based on the novels of Agnes von Krusenstjerna, was banned at the Cannes Film Festival for its sexual explicitness and nudity. Kenneth Tynan of The Observer later called it "one of the most amb… With 63 credits spanning from 1941 to 2022, Mai Zetterling has appeared in 55 films and 8 TV shows.
Fans searching for Mai Zetterling movies, Mai Zetterling filmography, or the latest projects starring Mai Zetterling can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Mai Zetterling Movies
- The Witches (1990) — as Helga Eveshim
- Hidden Agenda (1990) — as Moa
- Quartet (1948) — as Jeanne (segment "The Facts of Life")
- The Traitor (1959) — as Frau Caypor
- Morfars resa (1993) — as Elin Fromm
Where to Watch Mai Zetterling Films
Most Mai Zetterling movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Mai Zetterling, check our movies catalogue and browse page.