Kaplan, Nelly

(April 12, 1931, Buenos Aires, Argentina-)

   A movie buff since her childhood, she dropped out of the University of Buenos Aires, where she studied economics, to go to Paris to represent the young Argentinian Cinematheque in an international con­gress. She settled in the French capital and worked as a correspondent for Argentinian newspapers. In 1954, she met Abel Gance, who hired her as a trainee assistant and actress under the pseudonym of Nelly Dominique (1955 La Tour de Nesle / La torre del piacere, France / Italy). She became his assist­ant the following year (1955 Auprès de ma Blonde, short; Château des Nuages, short; Fête foraine, short; 1960 Austerlitz / La battaglia d'Austerlitz / Napoleone ad Austerlitz / UK and USA: The Battle of Austerlitz, also co-screenwriter, actor, France / Italy / Yugo­slavia). In 1962, she also co-directed and edited Cyrano et d'Artagnan / Cyrano e d'Artagnan / Cyrano y d'Artagnan, France / Italy / Spain). From 1961 to 1967, she directed mainly art films. Her medium-length Le Regard Picasso won the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival of 1967. After publishing under her name a book on "Magirama" (Le Manifeste d'un Art nouveau) and the story of the shooting of Austerlitz (1960 Le Sunlight d'Austerlitz, Editions Plon), she authored a collection of erotic short stories with the pen name of Belen (1965 Le Réservoir des Sens, Editions Eric Losfeld, augmented reprint in 1988, Jean-Jacques Pauvert). She co-wrote a feature-length movie (1975 Il faut vivre dangereuse­ment, also dialogist, producer, Claude Makovski) and several successful TV movies directed by Jean Chapot (1981 Livingstone; 1982 Un Fait d'Hiver; Ce fut un bel Eté; 1985 Le Regard dans le Miroir, also actor, 4 X 60'; 1991 Les Mouettes, also actor; 1992 Honorin et la Lorelei; 1993 Polly West est de Retour, also actor; 1994 Honorin et l'Enfant prodigue, also actor) and Marc Rivière (1999 La Petite Fille en Costume marin). Other credits (as actress): 1964 La prima donna (short, Philippe Lifschitz); 1980 Docteur Teyran (3 X 90', Jean Chapot); 1988 Le Crépuscule des Loups (TV movie, Jean Chapot). Other books: 1971 Le Collier de Ptyx (Editions Jean-Jacques Pauvert); 1974 Un Manteau de Fou-Rire ou Les Mémoires d'une Liseuse de Draps (Editions Jean-Jacques Pauvert).

 Filmography

1955 ◘ Magirama (documentary; three shorts: "Au­près de ma Blonde", "Château des Nuages", "Fête foraine"; co-director with Abel Gance)

        ◘ Gustave Moreau (documentary; short; also screenwriter, editor)

        ◘ Rodolphe Bresdin 1825-1885 (documentary; short; also screenwriter)

        ◘ Abel Gance, Hier et Demain (documentary; short; also screenwriter, editor)

        ◘ La Nouvelle Orangerie (short; also screenwriter)

1966 ◘ Dessins et Merveilles (documentary; short)

        ◘ Les Années 25 (documentary; short)

        ◘ A la Source, la Femme aimée (documentary; short)

1967 ◘ Le Regard Picasso (documentary; medium-length)

1969 ◘ La Fiancée du Pirate / UK: Dirty Mary / Pirate's Fiancée / USA: A Very Curious Girl (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist, editor)

1971 ◘ Papa, les petits Bateaux (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist, actor as Belen)

1976 ◘ Néa / Nea—Ein Madchen entdeckt die Liebe / UK: A Young Emmanuelle (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist, actor; France / West Germany)

1979 ◘ Charles et Lucie / USA: Charles and Lucie (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist, actor as Belen, editor)

1984 ◘ Abel Gance et son Napoléon (documentary; medium-length)

1991 ◘ Plaisir d'Amour (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)

 Television Filmography

1987 ◘ Pattes de Velours