Maia Morgenstern

Maia Morgenstern

Birth : 1962-05-01, Bucharest, Romania

History

A Romanian film and stage actress,  described by Florin Mitu of AMOS News as "a symbol of Romanian theater and film".  In the English-speaking world, she is probably best known for the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. In Romania, she has been nationally known since her 1992 role as Nela in Balanţa, a film known in the United States as The Oak, set during the waning days of Communist Romania. Description above from the Wikipedia article Maia Morgenstern, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Profile

Maia Morgenstern

Movies

What About Love
Sister Martina
Two young lovers change the lives of their parents forever when the parents learn from the joyful experience of their kids, and allow themselves to again find their love.
The Goat and Her Three Kids
Capra
Secluded from the world, in XIX century rural Romania, a widow and mother of three must defend what's left of her family, at all costs, from an old family friend turned foe. Based on one of the best-known Romanian folk tales (The Goat and Her Three Kids by Ion Creanga), this film aims to unveil the true nature of the famed bedtime story and to treat the audience to a different perspective, one that offers a glimpse of what the tragedy looks like beyond the happy songs and affable characters.
Mihai Viteazul: Prințul intrat în legenda Europei
The New Gospel
Mother Mary
What would Jesus preach in the 21st century? Who would his disciples be? And how would today's society respond to the return of the Son of God? With The New Gospel, Milo Rau is staging a "Revolt of Dignity". Led by political activist Yvan Sagnet, the movement is fighting for the rights of migrants who came to Europe across the Mediterranean to be enslaved on the tomato fields in southern Italy and to live in ghettos under inhumane conditions.
Boys On Film 20: Heaven Can Wait
Mother (segment "Isha")
On the cusp of adulthood, the world's longest running gay short film series is only getting started. Boys On Film 20: Heaven Can Wait includes eleven complete films: Bassem Ben Brahim's animated "Chromophobia"… Jimi Vall Peterson's "Sleepover" starring Hjalmar Hardestam and Simon Eriksson… Mickey Jones's "Just Me" starring Philip Olivier and Carl Loughlin… Matthew Jacobs Morgan's "Mine" starring Joshua McGuire and John Macmillan… Dale John Allen's "Don't Blame Jack" starring Jordan Tweddle and Kane Surry… Timothy Ryan Hickernell's "Foreign Lovers" co-starring Lucio Nieto… Layke Anderson's "Mankind" starring Ricky Nixon and Alexis Gregory… Christopher Manning's "Isha" starring Horia Săvescu and Dario Coates… Jay Russell's "ruok" starring Peter Mark Kendall, Zachary Booth, and Sydney James Harcourt… Chintis Lundgren's animated "Manivald"… and Zoe McIntosh's "The World In Your Window" starring Joe Folau and David Lolofakangalo Rounds.
The Bra
Fidan
The Bra tells the story of the lonely and soon to be pensioned train driver Nurlan. On his last day of work his train hits a clothes line and snags a white bra with blue dots with it. Determined to find the owner, Nurlan leaves no stone unturned and embarks on a dazzling journey through the neighbourhoods of Baku, trying to convince as many women as possible to try on the lost bra.
Isha
Mother
Rahmi, a Romanian immigrant living in England, creates a new life for himself while trying to keep up appearances with his Muslim family. This moving, evocative drama costars renowned Romanian actress Maia Morgenstern and Game of Thrones’ Lino Facioli alongside newcomer Hora Savescu as Rahmi.
Lucania
Argenzia
An ancient dying land is brought back to life by the primal force of a young mute girl, who witnesses the fatal clash between two fathers.
The Goat and Her Three Kids
Capra
Secluded from the world, a single mother of three has to defend that what's left of her family, at all cost, from a cold blooded killer. Based on one of the best known Romanian fairy tales (The Goat and Her Three Kids by Ion Creanga), this short film aims to unveil the true nature of the famed bed time story and to treat the audience to a different perspective, one that offers a glimpse at what the tragedy actually looks like beyond the happy songs and colorful characters.
Fault Condition
Melania, a 15 years old high school student gets pregnant with Emi, a classmate. Melania does not tell anyone she's pregnant, Not even to Emi, or to her parents. The situation is extremely complicated because Emi's mother is the director of the high school where the two lovers study, and Melania's mother is secretary at the same high school. In the fifth month of pregnancy, Melania faints during class hours. She is urgently taken to the hospital by her mother who finds her daughter is 5 months pregnant so it's too late for an abortion. Melanie's mother is forced to tell the truth to Emi's mother. Emi's mother forces Melania's mother to promise to keep the pregnancy secret to everyone, even to Emi. Minor's mothers separates the two lovers and decide to give the baby up for adoption to a family of Romanians living abroad who don't have the right to legally adopt a child from Romania.
Far from Here
Donna
A young couple struggles to keep their marriage afloat in a foreign country.
High Strung
Markova
When a hip hop violinist busking in the New York subway encounters a classical dancer on scholarship at the Manhattan Conservatory of the Arts, sparks fly. With the help of a hip hop dance crew they must find a common ground while preparing for a competition that could change their lives forever.
Kidnapped in Romania
Daniela
A couple of Italo-American journalists go missing during their work assignment in Romania.
Exodus to Shanghai
Mrs. Morgenstern
Exodus to Shanghai tells the story of two lovers who have to escape from Vienna to China after Dr. Ho, the Chinese Consul in Vienna in 1938, issued Exit Visas to many Jews against the instruction of his superiors. Fannia, a New York Jewish Violin student, falls in love with the Consul's nephew Bruce. Together they must leave Vienna as the Gestapo is chasing them to get the Jews and Hitler's painting.
Miss Christina
Mrs. Moscu
The film is an adaptation of the well known short story "Miss Christina" by Mircea Eliade. Moscu arrived at the mansion with his girlfriend, Sanda, the young artist Egor Paşchievici notes that her entire family worships Miss Christina, her aunt murdered in unclear circumstances when she was just 20 years old, during the riots of 1907. Egor is inexplicably drawn into a portrait of Miss Christina and begins to dream. Soon, however, the boundary between dream and reality is blurred and Miss Christina, love Egor, is brought back to life through occult rituals even by her family. When realized, however, that life is in danger Egor Sanda decides to fight the ghost.
Carmen
Dr. Janos
In a small village close to the mountains, Mariana and Puiu are a young family with two children: Carmen and Mircea. One morning, the mother and the ten year-old daughter leave for Bucharest, having a hospital as their destination. One doctor alone, Sitaru, believes that Carmen, who can no longer smile, stands any chances at survival. He believes he can perform a miracle and save Carmen's life. Struggling for her daughter, abandoned by almost everybody she trusted, Mariana discovers she is pregnant. After dr. Sitaru operates on the little girl, in a risky manner, Carmen begins to feel increasingly worse. Without any hope, Mariana leaves the hospital and rushes to take Carmen home: while one life ends, another one begins to flicker.
Iubire elenã
The End of Silence
Anne
Centers on the Klein family, who live in a remote house in the mountains. Considered the black sheep, youngest son Jean is thrown out. Angry and threatening, he arrives at Nils and Ida's chalet for a hunting expedition. The next day, he learns how to kill. The following night, his mother's car is set on fire and he is blamed. He disappears into the mountains with a gun. On the third day, it pours down with rain and, in the evening, a storm brews. Shut up in their house, the Klein family await with dread the return of Jean, who will challenge them, weapon in hand.
Eva
Maria
Eva meets Tudor on the day of her 16th birthday. It is Tudor who is to make her feel whole as a woman. He becomes for her a source of both love and suffering through his constant mysterious departures and reappearances.
The Green Moon
Simona
Contemporary story of young people in search of happiness which one imagines coming from unseen meetings with people "hooked" on the Internet, the acquisition of works of art, from driving a luxury car in psychedelic music, theater, of money, for love.
One second of life
Black Sea
Madalina
It depicts the relationship between an elderly woman and her caregiver.
My Mother, My Bride And I
Bogdana
Mansfeld
Mrs. Mansfeld
At 15 he and his family became victims of state terror. At 16 he became a freedom fighter to participate in the 1956 Revolution against Soviet oppression. At 17 he is betrayed and arrested by the dreaded Secret Police (AVH). Now he has to spend the remainder of his life in a political prison, called Hell's Hallway, to reach the legal age of 18 before his death penalty can be carried out. Peter Mansfeld was 18 when he was unjustly executed by the totalitarian regime of Hungary. Today he is remembered as one of the national heroes of Hungary.
Margo
Being forced into prostitution by her father, she finds solace in her friends and her journal.
15
Irene
A love story that happens in the background Revolution in Timișoara.
L'homme pressé
Bonne de Bois de Rose
An antiques dealer misses out on some of life's pleasures because of his obsession with doing everything fast.
Orient Express
Amalia Frunzetti
At an old age, prince Andrei Morudzi retreats to his castle in Romania, during the two world wars, after having lead an eventful youth. There he is seen upon as a rare bird by the local folk, due to his strange attitude towards life and his exquisit manners, which don't fit in the way of life of the villagers. But, in the end, despite trying to distance himself from the local people, he can't but influence their humble existences.
Damen tango
Alexandra
Nothing seems to threaten the quiet and happy life of Alexandra and Mircea, a couple who's both admired and envied: love, successful careers, and wealth. And nothing seems to ever threaten the very special relation between a renowned university teacher and one her most gifted student, Alexandra and Corina: two women, two friends who, against the age gap, share the same goals, the same interests. Even the same love interests. Until one day, when the sensibility is stronger than the reason. And all of a sudden, everything that seemed certain, such as friendship, loyalty, love and devotion, turns into a terrible hate.
The Big Question
Self
Although it was shot on the set of director Mel Gibson's controversial epic The Passion of the Christ, this thought-provoking documentary is not about the making of the movie. Rather, filmmakers Francesco Cabras and Alberto Molinari delve into the nature of divinity and spiritual beliefs through revealing interviews with Gibson and members of his cast and crew -- including stars Jim Caviezel and Monica Bellucci.
The Passion of the Christ
Mary
A graphic portrayal of the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth's life.
Rose's Songs
Olga
Autumn 1944. Yellow star, ghettos, Arrow Cross terror. The inhabitants of Hungary's capital, Budapest, await the tragic fulfilment of their fate with helpless resignation. However, above one of the city's villas, once a week in the evening the stars of hope sparkle, if only for a few minutes. This short time gives fresh heart to those hiding here and kindles hope in their tortured souls to live for another day. This mysterious power is none other than a beautiful song that can be heard at such times from the villa's tower room.
Bed of Procust
Doamna T
The poet and journalist Ladima commits suicide and his friend, Fred Vasilescu, tries to find out the reasons of those actions. In his search he discovers a mysterious Miss T.
Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula
Woman at Fountain
Meet the man behind the legend in this true story of Vlad the Impaler, whose vicious and cruel reputation as a bloodthirsty warlord became the basis for the myth of Dracula.
The Death Triangle
Regina Maria
The Romanian army faces the German army in the epic battles of Marasti, Marasesti and Oituz, marking a turning point in World War 1.
Față în față
The Man of the Day
The Witman Boys
Mrs. Witman
Turn-of-the-century Hungary. Two young brothers, neglected by their cold and uncaring mother, descend deeper and deeper into psychosis, with tragic consequences.
The Seventh Room
Edith Stein
An expressionist biography of Edith Stein, who converted from the Jewish faith to the Catholic one and became a Carmelite sister. She would die in a German concentration camp.
Ulysses' Gaze
Ulysses' Wives
"A," a Greek filmmaker living in exile in the United States, returns to his native Ptolemas to attend a special screening of one of his extremely controversial films. But A's real interest lies elsewhere--the mythical reels of the very first film shot by the Manakia brothers, who, at the dawn of the age of cinema, tirelessly criss-crossed the Balkans and, without regard for national and ethnic strife, recorded the region's history and customs. Did these primitive, never-developed images really exist?
Nostradamus
Helen
A dramatic retelling of the life of Michel de Nostredame, from his early work as a plague doctor to his time at the court of Catherine de Medici, after he became famed for his prophetic almanacs. Stars Rutger Hauer and Julia Ormond.
Betrayal
Maia Morgenstern
After the war, in Bucharest, a young Romanian poet arrested for having written an article denouncing Stalinist crimes, will save his life by accepting to become a hostage of the regime.
Earth's Most Beloved Son
Matilda
The life-story confession of a prisoner waiting for his trial. Victor Petrini, a promising intellectual in the 1950s and a lecturer in Philosophy is arrested by the repressive secret police, wrongly accused of espionage, and sentenced to prison and forced labor.
The Oak
Nela
A description of Romania before Ceausescu's downfall, through the story of Nela. Daughter of a former colonel of the Securitate, the romanian political police. She refused to become as her sister, an agent of this Securitate, and lives with her father. After he died, she leaves Bucharest, and ends up in a little town, where she meets Mitica, a surgeon, another herself, laughing of everything.
Casa din vis
Vica
Căpălău, a peasant in a village near Brăila, tries to keep up with the turns of life. Based on "Ningea în Bărăgan” novel by Fănuș Neagu.
Forgotten by God
The survivor of a cursed family seeks revenge on the lover who jilted her.
Those Who Pay with Their Lives
An uncompromising journalist obsessed with the idea of absolute justice ends up committing suicide after reading his father's biography. Based on three novels by Camil Petrescu.
Maria and the Sea
Maria
The wife of a sea captain has a tough time being alone without her husband which is in a long trip.
The Season of Love
The action of the movie take place in a factory and presents the conflicts between one engineer and some young workers.
Prea cald pentru luna mai
Dorina
At a party, the class valedictorian gravely injures a passer by with some saucers thrown through the window. Characters are tested by what follows.
Chained Justice
Floraea
Inspired by true events, "Dreptate în lanturi" is a rough and poetic film, whose action is placed at the beginning of the last century. The movie sheds light on a Romanian peasant who fights against social injustice.
The Secret of Bacchus
Coca
Victor, an incisive journalist, discovers a series of irregularities in a State farming enterprise. His investigations will unmask the fraud committed by the person in charge of the wine section, called Bachus. Although aided by an impressive number of cronies, Bachus will not be able to hide forever infamous secret.
The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection
Mary
A sequel to The Passion of the Christ (2004) focuses on the events that occurred 3 days between the crucifixion and resurrection when Jesus Christ descended to Abraham's Bosom to preach and resurrect Old Testament saints.