Interview: Barbora Bobulova

She has blond hair, blue eyes and speaks with a Northern European accent but that hasn't stopped Barbora Bobulova from becoming a fixture in Italian cinema and television.

Barbora Bobulova was born in Slavakia in 1974. She began acting at just 12-years-old. She was discovered in the late 80's by an Italian casting director and has been going back and forth between television and film roles ever since. In 2006, she won the Italian Oscar for her performance in Ferzan Ozpetek’s film, Cuore Sacro (Sacred heart). The film tells the story of a young woman who is a real estate giant and uses ruthless tactics in order to get what she wants. The role called on Bobulova to reach deep within herself and bring out uninhibited, raw emotion.

Her lastest role in Francesco Munzi’s Anime nere has her in the international spotlight once again. This time, she takes on the role of Valeria, a Milanese housewife married to Rocco, whose family business brings her to Calabria where she experiences a whole different world. Bobulova does a tremendous job in her role of this pristine northern woman who genuinely loves her husband and tries to assimilate into his family despite the differences in their cultures. Her performance was heartfelt and her pain, especially in the final scenes of the film was nearly overwhelming. It was an outstanding performance in a truly stunning film. Lucky for us Americans, Anime nere will be released nationwide next week.

I sat down with Bobulova while she was in New York a few years ago promoting Francesco Bruni's, "Easy". The film made its North American premiere at the annual film series, “Open Roads: New Italian Cinema hosted by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. She told me how she got started in the business and what it was like working with one of Italy’s most respected filmmakers, Ferzan Ozpetek.

How did you get your start in acting and go on to become so successful in Italy?

I started when I was a child, when I was 12 years old. I was hired for a television film in Slovakia and that’s how I started to shoot some films. Then when I was 18, I went to the Academy of Theater in Bratislava. While studying, an Italian casting director came over there. She was looking for a Slavic actress for an Italian movie. They chose me, so that’s how I started to work in Italy. Now it’s already been nine years, and I work mostly in Italy.

What was it like working in a foreign country, acting in a foreign language?

In the beginning, they didn’t mind that I didn’t speak Italian. They used me as a foreigner. They used my accent. In television, sometimes they dubbed me. Now, it’s been several years that I’m playing Italians. I’ve been working on my accent with a dialect coach.

How did you come to work with Ozpetek on Cuore Sacro? Did you audition for the part?

He called me. He meant to make this film with another actress, but something happened and suddenly he called me a month before shooting and he wanted me to prepare one scene. He told me that I could just read it, but when I do something, I have to do it completely. So, I memorized the scene, and when he watched me, he was amazed that I knew the whole part by heart. I think that was also something that touched him and after that, he gave me this part.

What was it like to work with him?

It was a very strong experience. It was the most difficult film and professional experience I’ve ever had because the story was very complicated. The character was very complicated. In almost every scene, I was afraid that it was too much, like over-acting and could be pathetic because the themes and topics are very delicate.

Are there any filmmakers in particular that you’d like to work with?

Even if I live and work in Italy, I like the French cinema very much and I feel like the culture is closer to me. So, I feel closer to French actresses like Juliette Binoche.

Do you like the stories that are being told in Italian cinema now?

Yes, Italy has a lot of talented filmmakers. But it’s like a plant. It needs water and sun to live. The actors and writers cannot just act, they cannot just write. They need money. They need many things, or else it is very complicated. We had a government for a long time, who completely ignored culture and the arts. So, it’s been very difficult, but things are already starting to change for the better.

Anime nere (Black Souls) will be released nationwide in America on April 10th.

Comments

Luminous Legacies: Yoichi Ohira’s Murano Glass at Magazzino Italian Art

A new exhibition in Cold Spring, New York, is bringing the luminous legacy of Murano glassmaking into focus through the work of Japanese artist Yoichi Ohira. “Yoichi Ohira: Japan in Murano” is on view at Magazzino Italian Art until February 2027. The exhibit showcases the work of Ohira, who became a leading figure in the design of Venetian glassworks on the island of Murano. The exhibition features works that highlight the uniqueness of Ohira’s art across the decades of his career. Ohira’s earliest Murano works blend Venetian glass techniques with his own style. These pieces show balanced shapes, clear surfaces, and striking color combinations. His Venezia e l’Oriente (Venice and the Orient) decanters reflect Venice’s ties to the East, creating vases inspired by Marco Polo’s tales with a modern twist. The exhibition shows Ohira’s respect for Murano’s glass masters, displaying objects alongside preparatory drawings that map ideas to the final works of art. It also explores ho...

The Legend of Alberto Sordi - Rome's Eternal Son

′′They will always judge you, whether you behave well or if you behave badly. So screw it and live as you want but above all don't listen to anyone.′′ - Alberto Sordi By giving his fellow Italians something to laugh about during tumultuous times, he emerged as his generation’s King of Comedy. One of Italy’s best-loved personalities, Alberto Sordi played a pivotal role in Italian cinema from the end of World War II to the postwar economic boom of the 1950s. During those tumultuous years, he gave his countrymen a hearty laugh when they might have otherwise cried. Former Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi perhaps said it best: “Alberto Sordi interpreted the feelings of Italians, especially in their most difficult and tough moments.” Born in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome in 1920, Sordi grew up in a creative household. His mother was an elementary school teacher and his father, a professional musician for the Rome Opera House. A young Sordi joined the children’s choir o...

7 Days - 7 Women: Gina Lollobrigida

Update, January 16,2023: Gina Lollobrigida has passed away at the age of 95. On Day 3 of our week-long series, 7 Days - 7 Women, in which we are showcasing seven strong, talented women working as filmmakers, writers or visual artists, we celebrate the forceful, creative energy of movie legend Gina Lollobrigida. She has been called the most beautiful woman in the world and at 87 years old, she is still a sight to behold. Her outer beauty mirrors the talent and inner beauty of this true, complete artist. Lollobrigida, the iconic actress, photojournalist and sculptress, was born Luigina Lollobrigida on July 4, 1932 in Subiaco, Italy, a town located outside of Rome in the province of Lazio. Adored by fans all over the world, Lollobrigida has worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood including Humphrey Bogart, Rock Hudson, Frank Sinatra, Anthony Quinn and Shelly Winters. She acted opposite Bob Hope in his 1968 comedy, "The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell," and...

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann. Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...

Isabella Ferrari- the Damsel and the Thinker

Isabella Ferrari is a versatile actress whose trademark pouty lips and intense, melancholy eyes have been gracing Italian screens for more than three decades. Born in Piacenza on March 31, 1964, Ferrari has perfected the art of playing contrasting roles like the damsel in distress and the complicated, intellectual. Influenced by Italian auteur cinema, which encompasses the neo-realistic approach to filmmaking, she delivers powerful performances with each role she tackles. Ferrari's small screen debut goes back to 1981 in Gianni Boncompagni's television program, "Under the Stars." Two years later, she made her big screen debut in the summer comedy, "Il ras del quartiere." Diego Abatantuono, the star of the Oscar winning film, "Mediterraneo," co-wrote and starred in the film, which put Isabella Ferrari on the map and she hasn't stopped working since. Open Roads 2005: Isabella Ferrari, Antonio Monda and Renato De Maria With doz...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog