Dominique Sanda was born in the city of Paris, France, in the year 1951. At the tender age of sixteen, she made the bold decision to leave her upper-class family and embark on a new path, which led her to marry, only to divorce two years later. In her early twenties, she discovered a temporary job as a model for the renowned fashion magazine, Vogue. This newfound career path led to her being handpicked by the acclaimed director, Robert Bresson, to star in his thought-provoking drama, A Gentle Woman, released in 1969. Her captivating performance as a young woman who takes her own life after discovering her husband's inability to love her for who she truly is, left a lasting impression on audiences and critics alike.
Following her impressive debut, Sanda was offered the female lead in Vittorio De Sica's critically acclaimed film, The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, released in 1970. She portrayed the provocative daughter of a wealthy Jewish family, showcasing her versatility as an actress. Her subsequent collaboration with Bernardo Bertolucci on the highly controversial film, The Conformist, released in 1970, solidified her position as a talented and daring actress. She then co-starred alongside the legendary Paul Newman in John Huston's spy thriller, The MacKintosh Man, released in 1973.
Sanda continued to work with Bertolucci on the epic film, 1900, released in 1976, and received the prestigious Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Prize for her outstanding performance in Mauro Bolognini's The Inheritance, released the same year. She played the role of an Italian patriarch's daughter-in-law, showcasing her remarkable range as an actress. Her final unforgettable performance was in Jacques Demy's original musical, A Room in Town, released in 1982, where she portrayed a femme fatale. Today, in her seventies, Sanda remains an active and accomplished actress, appearing in international films and TV series.
