# Florinda Bolkan

Florinda Bolkan (born Florinda Soares Bulcão; 15 February 1941) is a retired Brazilian actress and model.

## Early life

She was born in Uruburetama and lived in Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro until she moved to Italy. A former flight inspector for Brazilian international carrier Varig, she became fluent in English, Italian and French. Bulcão moved to Italy in 1968 after being discovered by the film director Luchino Visconti. She changed her name to Florinda Bolkan because she thought it would be more comfortable for international audiences.

## Career

Bolkan acted with the Beatle Ringo Starr in her first film, Candy. She worked in more than forty films, mainly in Italy. She was directed by Vittorio de Sica in Una Breve Vacanza. Under Elio Petri's direction, she made Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion. Enrico Maria Salerno directed her in Anonimo Veneziano. She worked with Jean-Louis Trintignant, John Cassavetes, and Annie Girardot.
Like Sophia Loren, Claudia Cardinale and Monica Vitti, she also won the David di Donatello award three times, the Italian equivalent of the Academy Award in Hollywood. When De Sica cast her in Una Breve Vacanza, the film that introduced her to North America, he said: "I chose you because your eyes have known hunger." She replied: "Those born in Ceará bring within themselves a strong and hard share of the real thing."

## Personal life

For 20 years, Bolkan was the life partner of Countess Marina Cicogna, producer of Una Breve Vacanza.. In 2000, Bolkan debuted as director in the Brazilian film Eu Não Conhecia Tururu. Besides directing, she also plays a major character in the film. She continues to act in European films, mostly Italian films. Model Sônia Ribeiro, Bolkan's sister, married Willy Bogner Jr. in 1972.

## Filmography
### Film

| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
| Candy | 1968 | Lolita | |
| Una ragazza piuttosto complicata | 1969 | Greta | International title: "A Complicated Girl" David di Donatello Award for Best Performance |
| Gli intoccabili | 1969 | Joni Amado | International title: "Machine Gun McCain" |
| Metti, una sera a cena | 1969 | Nina | David di Donatello Award for Best Performance |
| Le voleur de crimes | 1969 | Florinda | International title: "Crime Thief" |
| Un detective | 1969 | Vera Fontana | International title: "Detective Belli" |
| La caduta degli dei (Götterdämmerung) | 1969 | Olga | International title: "The Damned" |
| Indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto | 1970 | Augusta Terzi | International title: "Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion" |
| Mafia Connection | 1970 | Rossana Sciortino | |
| Anonimo veneziano | 1970 | Valeria | International title: "The Anonymous Venetian" David di Donatello Award for Best Actress |
| Una stagione all'inferno | 1970 | Gennet | |
| The Last Valley | 1971 | Erica | |
| Una lucertola con la pelle di donna | 1971 | Carol Hammond | International title: "A Lizard in a Woman's Skin" |
| Incontro | 1971 | Claudia Ridolfi | International title: "Romance" |
| Le droit d'aimer | 1972 | Helena | |
| Non si sevizia un paperino | 1972 | Maciara | International title: "Don't Torture a Duckling" |
| Un uomo da rispettare | 1972 | Anna | International title: "The Master Touch" |
| Cari genitori | 1973 | Giulia Bonanni | International title: "Dear Parents" David di Donatello Award for Best Actress |
| Una breve vacanza | 1973 | Clara Mataro | International title: "A Brief Vacation" Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress New York Film Critics Circle Awards (2nd Place) |
| Le mouton enragé | 1974 | Flora Danieli | International title: "Love at the Top" |
| Flavia, la monaca musulmana | 1974 | Flavia Gaetani | International title: "Flavia the Heretic" |
| Le orme | 1975 | Alice Cespi | International title: "Footprints on the Moon" |
| Royal Flash | 1975 | Lola Montez | |
| Sarajevski atentat | 1975 | Sophie Chotek | International title: "The Day That Shook the World" |
| A Common Sense of Modesty | 1976 | Loredana Davoli | |
| Die Wölfin vom Teufelsmoor [de] a.k.a. Tod im November | 1978 | Walpurga | International title: "The Devil's Bed" |
| La settima donna | 1978 | Sister Cristina | International title: "The Last House on the Beach" |
| Manaos | 1979 | Manuela Aranda | |
| Habibi, amor mío | 1981 | | |
| Acqua e sapone | 1983 | Wilma Walsh | International title: "Soap and Water" |
| Legati da tenera amicizia | 1983 | Adelaide | |
| La gabbia | 1985 | Hélène | International title: "The Trap" |
| Some Girls | 1988 | Mrs. D'Arc | |
| Prisoner of Rio | 1988 | Stella | |
| Portaritratto per signora | 1989 | | |
| Millions | 1991 | Margherita | |
| Delitto passionale | 1994 | Julia Yancheva | |
| L'ombre du pharaon | 1995 | | |
| Bela Donna | 1998 | Mãe Ana | |
| Eu Não Conhecia Tururu | 2000 | Eleonora | International title: "I Didn't Know Tururu" Also writer, producer & director Nominated – Golden Kikito Award for Best Film |
| Cattive inclinazioni | 2003 | Mirta Valenti | International title: "Bad Inclination" |
| Magari | 2020 | Olga | International title: "If Only" |

### Television

| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
| The Word | 1978 | Angela Monti | Mini-series |
| La piovra | 1984 | Olga Camastra | Mini-series; 6 episodes International title: "The Octopus" |
| Affari di famiglia | 1986 | Lina Benetti | Television film |
| La piovra, season 2 [it] | 1986 | Olga Camastra | Mini-series; 6 episodes International title: "The Octopus 2" |
| A Rainha da Vida | 1987 | Antônia Fidalgo / Jurema Matos | Television film |
| La trappola | 1989 | | Television film |
| Mademoiselle Ardel | 1990 | Bianca di Falco | Television film |
| Missione d'amore | 1992 | Helena | Television film |
| Cherchez la femme | 1993 | Giovanna Bellocchi | Television film |
| La voyageuse du soir | 1993 | La baronne | Television film |
| La piovra, season 7 [it] | 1995 | Olga Camastra | Mini-series International title: "The Octopus 7" |
| L'ombra abitata | 1995 | Mme Labronsky | Television film International title: "Shadow of a Kiss" |
| Alice auf der Flucht | 1998 | Elisabetta Mancini | Mini-series |
| Shadows [it] | 1999 | Kalantan | Television film |
| Un bacio nel buio | 2000 | Aldina | Television film |
| Incantesimo 5 | 2002 | Corinne Grasso | Television series |
| La notte breve | 2005 | Magistrato | Television film |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Ceremony | Award / Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 1969 | David di Donatello Awards | Golden Plate | Metti, una sera a cena | Won |
| 1969 | David di Donatello Awards | Golden Plate | Una ragazza piuttosto complicata | Won |
| 1971 | David di Donatello Awards | David di Donatello Award for Best Actress | Anonimo veneziano | Won |
| 1973 | David di Donatello Awards | David di Donatello Award for Best Actress | Cari genitori | Won |
| 1975 | New York Film Critics Circle Awards | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress | Una breve vacanza | Runner-up |
| 1975 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress | Una breve vacanza | Won |
| 2000 | Gramado Film Festival | Golden Kikito Award for Best Film | Eu Não Conhecia Tururu | Nominated |
| 2002 | Roseto First Work Festival | Career Rose | — | Won |