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)
Jag dräpte
1943
as Miss Peters
The Witches
1990
as Helga Eveshim
Prince Gustaf
1944
as Anna Maria Wastenius
Lords of Little Egypt: Mai Zetterling Among the Gypsies
1961
Seven Waves Away
1957
as Nurse Julie White
The Lost People
1949
as Lily
Iris and the Lieutenant
1946
as Iris Mattson
Stulet nyår
1978
as Gerda
Maybe I Really Am a Sorceress
1989
as Self
Meeting with Mai
1996
Hidden Agenda
1990
as Moa
Mai Zetterling's Stockholm
1978
The Man Who Finally Died
1963
as Lisa von Deutsch
The Truth About Women
1957
as Julie Eaton
Music in Darkness
1948
as Ingrid Olofsson
We Have Many Names
1976
as Lena
Piccadilly Third Stop
1960
as Christine Preedy
Playing on the Rainbow
1958
Hell Is Sold Out
1951
as Valerie Martin
Tall Headlines
1952
as Doris Rickardson
Blackmailed
1951
as Mrs. Carol Edwards
A Prize of Gold
1955
as Maria
Visions of Eight
1973
as Narrator
The Bay of St. Michel
1963
Life Starts Now
1948
as Vera Ullman
Portrait from Life
1948
as Lidia
The Main Attraction
1962
as Gina
Knock on Wood
1954
as Ilse Nordstrom
Only Two Can Play
1962
as Liz
Desperate Moment
1953
as Anna DeBurg
Quartet
1948
as Jeanne (segment "The Facts of Life")
Torment
1944
as Bertha Olsson
The Ringer
1952
as Lisa
Prejudice and Pride: Swedish Film Queer
2022
as Self (archive footage)
Faces in the Dark
1960
as Christiane Hammond
Sunshine Follows Rain
1946
as Marit Germundsdotter
Frieda
1947
as Frieda
Calling the Shots
1988
as Self
Jet Storm
1959
as Carol Tilley
The Bad Lord Byron
1949
as Teresa Guiccioli
The Making of 'Hidden Agenda'
1990
as Self
The Polite Invasion
Offbeat
1961
as Ruth Lombard
My Heart Is Red
1977
as Nietzsche
Regissören: En film om Mai Zetterling
2015
as Self (archival footage)
Minns ni?
1993
as (archive footage)
The Romantic Age
1949
as Arlette Tessereau
The Master Builder
1958
as Hilda Wangel
Dance Little Lady
1954
as Nina Gordon
Sellers' Best
1992
as Self
Lasse-Maja
1941
as Fanny
Morfars resa
1993
as Elin Fromm
The Traitor
1959
as Frau Caypor
Ett dockhem
1956
as Gurli Pall
Lianbron
1965
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
- Jag dräpte (1943) — as Miss Peters
- The Witches (1990) — as Helga Eveshim
- Prince Gustaf (1944) — as Anna Maria Wastenius
- Lords of Little Egypt: Mai Zetterling Among the Gypsies (1961)
- Seven Waves Away (1957) — as Nurse Julie White
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.