Lea Massari, born Anna Maria Massetani (born 30 June 1933) is an actress and singer from Italy. Massari was born Anna Maria Massetani in Rome, but changed her name to Lea Massari when she was 22 after the death of her fiancé Leo. She studied architecture in Switzerland. Massari became known in art cinema for two roles: the missing girl Anna in

Michelangelo Antonioni Michelangelo Antonioni (, ; 29 September 1912 – 30 July 2007) was an Italian filmmaker. He is best known for directing his "trilogy on modernity and its discontents"—''L'Avventura'' (1960), ''La Notte'' (1961), and ''L'Eclisse'' (1962 ...

's ''

L'avventura ''L'Avventura'' ( en, "The Adventure") is a 1960 Italian drama film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. Developed from a story by Antonioni with co-writers Elio Bartolini and Tonino Guerra, the film is about the disappearance of a young woman ...

'' (1960), and as Clara, the mother of a sexually precocious 14-year-old boy named Laurent (

Benoît Ferreux Benoît Ferreux (; born 29 September 1955) is a French film, television and stage actor who is possibly best recalled internationally for his role in the 1971 film '' Murmur of the Heart''. Career as a child actor Benoît Ferreux was born in Borde ...

) in

Louis Malle Louis Marie Malle (; 30 October 1932 – 23 November 1995) was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in both French cinema and Hollywood. Described as "eclectic" and "a filmmaker difficult to pin down," Malle's filmogr ...

's ''

Murmur of the Heart ''Murmur of the Heart'' (french: Le souffle au cœur) is a 1971 French comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by Louis Malle. The film stars Lea Massari, Benoît Ferreux and Daniel Gélin. Written as Malle's semi-autobiography, the fi ...

'' (1971). Massari worked in both Italian and French cinema. Her career includes

Sergio Leone Sergio Leone (; 3 January 1929 – 30 April 1989) was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter credited as the pioneer of the Spaghetti Western genre and widely regarded as one of the most influential directors in the history of cin ...

's debut '' The Colossus of Rhodes'' (''Il Colosso di Rodi'', 1961) and international commercial films such as ''

The Things of Life ''The Things of Life'' (french: Les Choses de la vie) is a 1970 romantic drama film directed by Claude Sautet, based on the 1967 novel ''Intersection'' by Paul Guimard. The film centers around a car accident experienced by Pierre (Michel Piccoli) ...

'' (''Les choses de la vie'', 1970). Massari was a member of the jury at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...

in 1975. After appearing in

Francesco Rosi Francesco Rosi (; 15 November 1922 – 10 January 2015) was an Italian film director. His film ''The Mattei Affair'' won the Palme d'Or at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival. Rosi's films, especially those of the 1960s and 1970s, often appeared to hav ...

's ''

Christ Stopped at Eboli ''Christ Stopped at Eboli'' ( it, Cristo si è fermato a Eboli) is a memoir by Carlo Levi, published in 1945, giving an account of his exile from 1935-1936 to Grassano and Aliano, remote towns in southern Italy, in the region of Lucania whi ...

'' (''Cristo si è fermato a Eboli'', 1979), Massari won the Nastro d'Argento Best supporting Actress award.

Partial filmography

* ''

Proibito ''Proibito'' (''Forbidden'') is a 1954 Italian drama film directed by Mario Monicelli and starring Mel Ferrer. Cast * Mel Ferrer as Don Paolo Solinas * Amedeo Nazzari as Costantino Corraine * Lea Massari as Agnese Barras * Henri Vilbert as Nic ...

'' (1955) – Agnese Barras * '' Dreams in a Drawer'' (1957) – Lucia Moretti * ''

Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, whic ...

'' (1958) – Marja Pawlowna * ''

'' (1960) – Anna * ''

From a Roman Balcony ''From a Roman Balcony'' (also known as ''Pickup in Rome'' and ''The Crazy Day'') is a 1960 drama film directed by Mauro Bolognini. It is a co-production between Italy (where it was released as ''La giornata balorda'') and France (where it is know ...

'' (1960) – Freja * '' Il Colosso di Rodi'' (1961) – Diala * ''

A Difficult Life ''A Difficult Life'' (Italian: ''Una vita difficile'') is a ''Commedia all'italiana'' or Italian-style comedy film directed by Dino Risi in 1961. The film was included on the 100 Italian Films To Be Saved ( 100 film italiani da salvare). Plot T ...

'' (1961) – Elena Pavinato * ''Morte di un bandito'' (1961) – Santa * ''

Dreams Die at Dawn ''Dreams Die at Dawn'' (Italian: ''I sogni muoiono all'alba'') is a 1961 Italian drama film directed by Mario Craveri, Enrico Gras and Indro Montanelli.Goble p.331 It is set during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Cast * Lea Massari as Anna Mik ...

'' (1961) – Anna Miklos * ''Le Monte-charge'' (1962) – Marthe Dravet * '' The Four Days of Naples'' (1962) – Maria (uncredited) * '' The Captive City'' (1962) – Lelia Mendores * '' Weeping for a Bandit'' (1964) – María Jerónima * '' L'Insoumis'' (1964) – Dominique Servet * ''La coda del diavolo'' (1964) * ''

Le Soldatesse ''The Camp Followers'' ( it, Le soldatesse), is a 1965 Italian World War II film directed by Valerio Zurlini and starring Anna Karina. From a 1956 novel by Ugo Pirro, it tells the story of a young lieutenant in the Italian Army who in 1942 is or ...

'' (1965) – Toula Demantritza * ''

Made in Italy Made in Italy is a merchandise mark indicating that a product is all planned, manufactured and packed in Italy, especially concerning the design, fashion, food, manufacturing, craftsmanship, and engineering industries. History Made in Italy ...

'' (1965) – Monica (segment "1 'Usi e costumi', episode 3") * ''Il giardino delle delizie'' (1967) – Carlo's mistress * ''Volver a vivir'' (1968) – María * ''

I Want Him Dead ''I Want Him Dead'' ( it, Lo voglio morto, es, Lo quiero muerto) is a 1968 Italian-Spanish Spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Le ...

'' (1968) – Aloma * '' Les Choses de la vie'' (1970) – Catherine Bérard * ''Céleste'' (1970) – Hélène * ''Senza via d'uscita'' (1970) – Britt * ''

'' (1971) – Clara Chevalier * ''Paolo e Francesca'' (1971) * ''

And Hope to Die ''And Hope to Die'' (french: La course du lièvre à travers les champs, it, La corsa della lepre attraverso i campi) is a 1972 French-Italian-Canadian crime-drama film directed by René Clément and starring Jean-Louis Trintignant, Aldo Ray an ...

'' (1972) – Sugar * ''

La prima notte di quiete ''La prima notte di quiete'' is a 1972 romantic drama film directed by Valerio Zurlini. It stars Alain Delon, Sonia Petrovna, Renato Salvatori, Alida Valli, Adalberto Maria Merli, Salvo Randone and Lea Massari. The version released in France and ...

'' (1972) – Monica * '' La Femme en bleu'' (1973) – Aurélie * ' (1973) – Maria Menela * ' (1973) – Maria * ''Story of a Love Story'' (1973) – Woman * ' (1974) – Hélène Noblet * ''

Allonsanfàn ''Allonsanfàn'' () is a 1974 Italian historical drama film written and directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. The title of the film, which is also the name of a character, comes from the first words (french: Allons enfants, lit=Arise, children) o ...

'' (1974) – Charlotte * ''

Peur sur la ville ''Fear Over the City'' (French: ''Peur sur la ville'') is a 1975 French crime film directed by Henri Verneuil and starring Jean-Paul Belmondo. It was the first time Belmondo played a police officer. It was released in the United States and the Un ...

'' (1975) – Nora Elmer * ''Chi dice donna dice donna'' (1976) – Gilbert (segment "Papa e maman") * ' (1976) – Gloria * ''La linea del fiume'' (1976) – Amanda Treves * ' (1977) – Mère de François * '' Repérages'' (1977) – Cecilia * ''El perro'' (1977) – Muriel * '' Antonio Gramsci: The Days of Prison'' (1977) – Tania * '' Dirty Dreamer'' (1978) – Joséphe * ''

Les Rendez-vous d'Anna ''Les Rendez-vous d'Anna'' (known in English as ''The Meetings of Anna'' and ''Meetings with Anna'') is a 1978 drama film written and directed by Chantal Akerman. Plot Anne Silver, a Belgian filmmaker, is travelling through West Germany, Belgiu ...

'' (1978) – La mère d'Anna * ''

'' (1979) – Luisa Levi * ''Le Divorcement'' (1979) – Rosa * '' La Flambeuse'' (1981) – Louise * ' (1983) – Carla Angelli * ' (1984) – Nelly * '' Segreti segreti'' (1984) – Marta, Laura's Mother * ''Viaggio d'amore'' (1990) – Zaira (final film role)

References

External links

* 1933 births Living people Italian film actresses Nastro d'Argento winners Actresses from Rome 20th-century Italian actresses Italian women singers People of Umbrian descent {{Italy-actor-stub