
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
The Traitor
1959
as Frau Caypor

Hidden Agenda
1990
as Moa

Morfars resa
1993
as Elin Fromm

Quartet
1948
as Jeanne (segment "The Facts of Life")

The Man Who Finally Died
1963
as Lisa von Deutsch

Music in Darkness
1948
as Ingrid Olofsson

Torment
1944
as Bertha Olsson

Prince Gustaf
1944
as Anna Maria Wastenius

Prejudice and Pride: Swedish Film Queer
2022
as Self (archive footage)

Tall Headlines
1952
as Doris Rickardson

Iris and the Lieutenant
1946
as Iris Mattson

A Prize of Gold
1955
as Maria

Seven Waves Away
1957
as Nurse Julie White

Calling the Shots
1988
as Self

Playing on the Rainbow
1958

Knock on Wood
1954
as Ilse Nordstrom

Jet Storm
1959
as Carol Tilley

Visions of Eight
1973
as Narrator

Frieda
1947
as Frieda

Blackmailed
1951
as Mrs. Carol Edwards

The Ringer
1952
as Lisa

The Lost People
1949
as Lily
Life Starts Now
1948
as Vera Ullman

The Truth About Women
1957
as Julie Eaton

Maybe I Really Am a Sorceress
1989
as Self

The Main Attraction
1962
as Gina

Hell Is Sold Out
1951
as Valerie Martin

Only Two Can Play
1962
as Liz

Jag dräpte
1943
as Miss Peters

Minns ni?
1993
as (archive footage)

My Heart Is Red
1977
as Nietzsche
The Bad Lord Byron
1949
as Teresa Guiccioli

Piccadilly Third Stop
1960
as Christine Preedy

Faces in the Dark
1960
as Christiane Hammond

Desperate Moment
1953
as Anna DeBurg
Lords of Little Egypt: Mai Zetterling Among the Gypsies
1961

Offbeat
1961
as Ruth Lombard

Portrait from Life
1948
as Lidia

Regissören: En film om Mai Zetterling
2015
as Self (archival footage)

Sunshine Follows Rain
1946
as Marit Germundsdotter

Sellers' Best
1992
as Self

The Making of 'Hidden Agenda'
1990
as Self

Dance Little Lady
1954
as Nina Gordon
The Polite Invasion
Stulet nyår
1978
as Gerda

The Bay of St. Michel
1963

The Romantic Age
1949
as Arlette Tessereau

Ett dockhem
1956
as Gurli Pall

The Master Builder
1958
as Hilda Wangel

Lasse-Maja
1941
as Fanny

Lianbron
1965

We Have Many Names
1976
as Lena

Meeting with Mai
1996

Mai Zetterling's Stockholm
1978
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
- The Traitor (1959) — as Frau Caypor
- Hidden Agenda (1990) — as Moa
- Morfars resa (1993) — as Elin Fromm
- Quartet (1948) — as Jeanne (segment "The Facts of Life")
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.






