# Nevena Kokanova

Nevena Kokanova (Bulgarian: Невена Коканова) (12 December 1938 – 3 June 2000) was a Bulgarian film actress. She was known as the "first lady of Bulgarian cinema." Her mother was from a well-known Austrian aristocratic family, and her father was a political prisoner.

## Early life

Kokanova was born in Dupnitsa, Bulgaria and is most renowned for her role as Lisa in The Peach Thief. She started her career at age 18 as an apprentice actor with the Yambol Theater in Yambol, Bulgaria.

## Career

In 1975 she was a member of the jury at the 9th Moscow International Film Festival. In 1980 she starred in and co-directed Three Deadly Sins with Lyubomir Sharlandzhiev.
She died in Sofia, Bulgaria from cancer.

## Filmography

| Title English Title | Title Original Language | Year | Director |
| The Canary Season | Сезонът на канарчетата | 1993 | Yevgeni Mikhailov |
| I want America | Искам Америка | 1991 | Kiran Kolarov |
| The Village (TV series) | Селцето | 1990 | Ivan Terziev |
| Evenings in the Antim's Inn (TV series) | Вечери в Антимовския хан | 1988 | Pavel Pavlov |
| Home for Our Children (TV series) | Дом за нашите деца | 1987 | Nedelcho Chernev |
| Time for Traveling (TV series) | Време за път | 1987 | Nedelcho Chernev |
| Three Marias and Ivan | Три Марии и Иван | 1986 | Krasimir Atanasov |
| Transports of Death | Ешелоните на смъртта | 1986 | Borislav Punchev |
| Forest People | Горски хора | 1985 | Pavel Pavlov |
| This Fine Age of Maturity | Тази хубава зряла възраст | 1985 | Hacho Boyadzhiev |
| Salvation | Спасението | 1984 | Borislav Punchev |
| Dangerous Charm | Опасен чар | 1984 | Ivan Andonov |
| Constantine The Philosopher | Константин философ | 1983 | Georgi Stoyanov |
| The Warning | Предупреждението | 1982 | Juan Antonio Bardem |
| Crystals | Кристали | 1982 | Atanas Traikov |
| Autumn Sun | Есенно слънце | 1982 | Pavel Pavlov |
| The Badger | Язовецът | 1981 | Pavel Pavlov |
| Childhood Sun | Слънце на детството | 1981 | Yanko Dundakov |
| The Queen of Turnovo | Търновската царица | 1981 | Yanko Yankov |
| The Adventures of Avacum Zahov (TV series) | Приключенията на Авакум Захов | 1980 | Yordan Jumaliev, Milen Getov |
| Ladies' Choice | Дами канят | 1980 | Ivan Andonov |
| | Уони | 1980 | Vlachislav Ikonomov |
| Three Deadly Sins | Трите смъртни гряха | 1980 | Nevena Kokanova, Lyubomir Sharlandzhiev |
| Alone Among Wolves (TV series) | Сами сред вълци | 1979 | Zako Heskija |
| Hark to the Cock | Чуй петела | 1978 | Stefan Dimitrov |
| Sunstroke | Слънчев удар | 1977 | Irina Aktasheva, Khristo Piskov |
| Matriarchate | Матриархат | 1977 | Lyubomir Kirkov |
| Cyclops | Циклопът | 1976 | Christo Christov |
| Memory of the Twin Sister | Спомен за близначката | 1976 | Lyubomir Sharlandzhiev |
| Burn to Be a Light | Изгори, за да светиш | 1976 | Nedelcho Chernev |
| Don't Go Away | Не си отивай! | 1976 | Lyudmil Kirkov |
| The Weddings of King Ioan Assen | Сватбите на Йоан Асен | 1975 | Vili Tsankov |
| Life or Death | На живот и смърт | 1974 | Nedelcho Chernev |
| The Last Bachelor | Последният ерген | 1974 | Vladimir Yanchev |
| A Tree Without Roots | Дърво без корен | 1974 | Christo Christov |
| My Father the House-Painter | Баща ми, бояджията | 1974 | Stefan Dimitrov |
| Children Play Out of Doors | Деца играят вън | 1973 | Ivanka Grybcheva |
| The Kindest Person I Know | Най-добрият човек, когото познавам | 1973 | Lyubomir Sharlandzhiev |
| Little Tiger | Тигърчето | 1973 | Mariana Evstatieva-Biolcheva |
| Affection | Обич | 1972 | Ludmil Staikov |
| The Boy Turns Man | Момчето си отива | 1972 | Lyudmil Kirkov |
| A Human Heart | Сърце човешко | 1972 | Ivan Nichev |
| Circles Of Love | Кръгове на обичта | 1972 | Kiril Ilinchev |
| The Strange Duel | Странен двубой | 1971 | Todor Stoyanov |
| Messages Don't Murder 3-part TV movie | Botschafter morden nicht | 1970 | Georg Leopold, Werner Toelcke |
| Men on a Business Trip | Мъже в командировка | 1969 | Grisha Ostrovski, Todor Stoyanov |
| Tango | Танго | 1969 | Vasil Mirchev |
| Galileo Galilei | Галилео Галилей | 1969 | Liliana Cavani |
| Perilous Flight | Опасен полет | 1968 | Dimiter Petrov |
| The Death of Alexander the Great | Гибелта на Александър Велики | 1968 | Vladislav Ikonomov |
| Taste of Almonds | С дъх на бадеми | 1967 | Lyubomir Sharlandzhiev |
| Detour/Sidetracked | Отклонение | 1967 | Grisha Ostrovski, Todor Stoyanov |
| The Longest Night | Най-дългата нощ | 1967 | Vulo Radev |
| Crack-Up | Карамбол | 1966 | Lyubomir Sharlandzhiev |
| Before and After the Victory | Do pobedata i po nea | 1966 | Zhivorad (Zhika) Mitrovich |
| The Peach-Garden Trespasser | Крадецът на праскови | 1964 | Vulo Radev |
| The Inspector And The Night | Инспекторът и нощта | 1963 | Rangel Vulchanov |
| Midnight Meeting | Среднощна среща | 1963 | Nikola Minchev |
| Tobacco | Тютюн | 1962 | Nikola Korabov |
| The Steep Path | Стръмната пътека | 1961 | Yanko Yankov |
| Be Happy, Ani! | Бъди щастлива, Ани! | 1961 | Vladimir Yanchev |
| On a Quiet Evening | В тиха вечер | 1960 | Borislav Sharaliev |
| Years of Love | Години за любов | 1957 | Yanko Yankov |