Anna Karina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anna Karina
Karina in 1968
Born	Hanne Karin Blarke Bayer (1940-09-22)22 September 1940 Frederiksberg, Denmark
Died	14 December 2019(2019-12-14) (aged 79) Paris, France
Resting place	Père Lachaise Cemetery
Occupation	Actress, film director, writer, singer
Years active	1959–2019
Spouse(s)	Jean-Luc Godard ​ ​ (m. 1961; div. 1965)​ Pierre Fabre ​ ​ (m. 1968; div. 1974)​ Daniel Duval ​ ​ (m. 1978; div. 1981)​ Dennis Berry ​ (m. 1982)​

Anna Karina (born Hanne Karin Blarke Bayer; 22 September 1940 – 14 December 2019) was a famous Danish-French actress, director, writer, and singer. She was a key figure in the French New Wave film movement. This was a new style of filmmaking in the 1960s.

Anna Karina worked closely with director Jean-Luc Godard in the 1960s. She starred in many of his films, like A Woman Is a Woman, My Life to Live, and Pierrot le Fou. For her role in A Woman Is a Woman, she won the Silver Bear for Best Actress award at the 11th Berlin International Film Festival.

Later, Karina also directed her own films, including Vivre ensemble (1973) and Victoria (2008). Besides acting and directing, she was also a singer and wrote several books. She was seen as a style icon and a symbol of the French New Wave.

Early Life and Dreams

Hanne Karin Blarke Bayer was born on 22 September 1940 in Frederiksberg, Denmark. Her mother owned a dress shop. Her father, a ship captain, left the family when she was very young.

She spent parts of her childhood with her grandparents and in foster care. She felt like she wasn't wanted. From a young age, she dreamed of becoming an actress. She wanted to go to drama school, but she was too young at the time.

At 14, she left school. She had done well on her exams, but her school didn't believe her. This unfairness made her decide to leave.

Becoming a Star

Les Deux Magots, the café where Anna Karina was discovered

Starting Out as a Model

After leaving school, Anna Karina worked as a lift operator and an assistant. She began her career in Denmark as a singer in cabarets and a model. At 14, she starred in a short film called Pigin og skoene (1959). This film won an award at the Cannes film festival.

Because things were difficult at home, she decided to leave Denmark. With only a little money, she hitchhiked to Paris, France. She was fascinated by France and wanted to live there.

In Paris, at age 17, she struggled to find a place to stay. One day, she was sitting at Les Deux Magots café. A woman named Catherine Harlé saw her and asked her to do a photoshoot for a French newspaper. This was her big break.

She became a successful model, working for magazines like Elle. She also met famous designers like Pierre Cardin and Coco Chanel. Chanel even suggested her stage name, "Anna Karina." This name was inspired by the novel Anna Karenina. She also appeared in commercials for popular products.

Her Film Career

Jean-Luc Godard, a film critic, first saw Anna Karina in a TV commercial. He was looking for actors for his first film, Breathless. He offered her a small part, but she said no.

Later, Godard offered her a role in The Little Soldier. In this film, she played a pro-Algerian activist. The movie was controversial and banned in France for a while.

Anna Karina won the Silver Bear for Best Actress award for her role in Godard's film A Woman Is a Woman (1961). She starred in eight films directed by Godard. These included My Life to Live (1962), Band of Outsiders (1964), and Alphaville (1965). In Alphaville, a science-fiction film, her character struggles to say "I love you."

Her acting career grew quickly in the 1960s and 1970s. She appeared in many films by famous directors. These included The Nun (1966) and The Stranger (1967).

In 1972, she started her own film company. She directed her first film, Living Together (Vivre ensemble, 1973), and also acted in it. This film was shown at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival. She also starred in Chinese Roulette (1976) and directed Victoria (2008), a musical road trip movie.

Music and Writing

Anna Karina also had a successful singing career. In the late 1960s, she had big hits with songs like "Sous le soleil exactement" and "Roller Girl." These songs were written by Serge Gainsbourg for a TV musical comedy called Anna. She later released music albums, including Chansons de films in 2005.

She also wrote four novels: Vivre ensemble (1973), Golden City (1983), On n'achète pas le soleil (1988), and Jusqu'au bout du hasard (1998).

Personal Life

Karina in 1994

While working on Le Petit Soldat, Anna Karina and director Jean-Luc Godard fell in love. They married in 1961. She became his "muse," meaning she inspired him greatly. She starred in eight of his films during and after their five-year marriage.

Anna Karina felt honored to be Godard's muse. She compared it to the story of Pygmalion, where a teacher transforms a student. Their work together is considered very important in film history. However, their relationship was sometimes difficult. They divorced in 1965.

After divorcing Godard, Anna Karina married three more times. She was married to French actors Pierre Fabre and Daniel Duval. Her last marriage was to American film director Dennis Berry in 1982. They remained married until her death.

Anna Karina passed away on 14 December 2019, in Paris, at the age of 79.

Legacy

Anna Karina is remembered as a true icon of 1960s cinema. She is a key figure in the French New Wave film movement. She is also celebrated as a style icon. Many describe her as the "effervescent free spirit of the French new wave."

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Anna Karina para niños