简介：AstaNielsenistheonlyfemaleartistinfilmwhocanbeconsideredoutrightasageniusandwhoseartisticachievementshavetheunforcedqualityofnaturalevents.Everyonewhohaseverenjoyedthepleasureofherfriendshipknowsthatshe,likealltheotherrealgreatsintheworldofart,isalsoasignificanthumanbeingwhoseexceptionalsenseofhumoranddeepwisdomaboutlifearewithoutparallel.” Thatiswhatoneofherclosestfriends,actoranddirectorPaulWegener,hadtosayabouttheDanish-bornstarofsilentfilm,whoelevatedthegenrefromacarnivalshowtoanartformandwhodominateditinGermanyfromstarttofinish.AstaNielsenproveshersuperiorsenseofhumorandwisdomoneverypageofherexquisitememoirs,publishedin1946,TheSilentMuse(DentiendeMuseintheoriginal–anuntranslatableplayonwords). Nielsenneededasenseofhumor,too,especiallyduringherchildhoodandyouth,whichshespentinextremepoverty.Herbelovedfather,whohadbeenseriouslyillherwholelife,diedwhenshewasfourteen.Herenergeticmotherregularlylashedherandheroldersister,Johanne,withawhip.Astafaithfullyreportsthisinherautobiographybutotherwisewouldhearnothingagainsthermother,whoworkedherselftotheboneforherdaughtersandfoughtforthemwiththefiercenessofalioness. Withoutyetknowingthefactsoflife,Astabecamepregnantateighteen.Sherefusedtomarrythefatherofherchildeventhoughshecaredforhimandeventhoughsinglemothersattheturnofthecenturywerealmostuniversallydespised.ButAstawantedherchildalltoherself.“Havingachildseemsincrediblyimportanttome;buthavingahusbandnotatallso,”shefound.AstaNielsenwrotenotasinglewordaboutherbeloveddaughterJestaorhertwomarriagesinhermemoirs.Shewasanextremelyprivateperson,andboreherworldwidefamewithhumorbutlittleenthusiasm. In1935,after25triumphantyearsinGermany,NielsenreturnedtoDenmark.Althoughshehadoncebehaved“insolently”towardsHitleratagaladinner(theywereseatedatthesametable),NaziGermanywouldhavelikedtokeepherasajewelinitsfirmamentofstars.ButAstawasn’tinterested. Frauenbild Forlatebloomersofeverystripethereisnobetterrolemodelthantheastonishinglymulti-talentedAstaNielsen:Shebeganherliterarycareerat65.DanishNobelLaureateinLiteratureJohannesV.Jensenwroteofhermemoirs:“Ifyouweren’tagreatactress,thenyouwouldhavebecomeagreatauthor.”Infact,shecontinuedwriting–stories,articlesfornewspapersand,later,aseriesofradiolecturesentitledGrowingOld:ANewLife.Atthesametime,sheproducedsomesuccessfulworkasavisualartist:“Icreatedanewformofpainting,notwithbrushandpaint,butwithcolorfulfabricfromwhichIassemblepeopleandanimals,landscapesandflowers.” Shedirectedherfirstfilmat86.Afterafilmaboutherlifedidnotmeetwithherapproval,shesettoworkontheprojectherself.Theresultwasaworkofart. Atthebeginningofthe1960’s,83-year-oldAstaNielsenhadtocometotermswiththemostsevereblowofherlife:HerdaughterJestacommittedsuicidefollowingthedeathofherhusband. FrauenbildFinally,at88yearsofage,AstaNielsenmarriedherthirdhusband,ChristianTheede,anartdealer18yearsherjuniorandthegreatloveofherlife.Thetwoenjoyedtheirtravelstogethersomuchthattheydecidedtoleavetheirfortunetoafoundationtofundtripsfortheelderly.“Itwassolovelytotravel,”saidAstaNielsen,”wewanttomakethatpossibleforothersnowtoo.”…