Tunisian-Italian actress Claudia Cardinale dies aged 87

Claudia Cardinale, the Tunisian-born star of post-war Italian cinema, died at age 87 on September 23rd, according to The Arab Weekly plus agencies.

Born in a family of Sicilian origin in Tunis, Cardinale was raised in the suburb of La Goulette. Her introduction to the movie world came in 1957, after winning a beauty contest in the Tunisian capital and being rewarded with a trip to the Venice film festival.

In her first Italian screen roles, Cardinale’s voice had to be dubbed, as her native tongue was Sicilian dialect and her education had been carried out in French, which she spoke with a characteristic French-Tunisian accent. Later in her career, she made films in a variety of European languages, including English, and her voice became one of her most regarded characteristics.

She achieved iconic status after starring in “8-½”, directed by Federico Fellini, and “The Leopard”, by Luchino Visconti.

Still celebrated as one of Tunisia’s best actresses, Cardinale’s relationship to her home country guided her personal and artistic choices throughout her career. She starred in films by Tunisian directors such as Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud and Ridha Beni, and played herself in the award-winning feature “Un É-te a la Goulette” directed by Ferid Boughedir. She also worked with producer Abdellatif Ben Ammar on Zeffirelli’s “Jesus de Nazareth”.

After working with some of the most famous European film directors of the 20th century, such as Federico Fellini, Franco Zeffirelli and Luchino Visconti, she ventured into Hollywood productions and appeared in “The Pink Panther”, directed by Blake Edwards. Around the turn of this century, Cardinale also turned to the theatre, being celebrated for her appearances on the stage.

In 2002, Cardinale was awarded a lifetime achievement at the Berlin Film Festival, where she expressed her appreciation for acting and pride over her long-standing career. “I’ve lived more than 150 lives, prostitute, saint, romantic, every kind of woman,” she said, reflecting on her years on the big screen and on stage, “and it is marvelous to have this opportunity to change yourself.”