Dessy Tenekedjieva

Dessy Tenekedjieva was born in Varna and graduated from the French language school in Varna. She studied in the Krastyo Sarafov National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts and graduated in 1995.

She was only fourteen years old when she made her debut in the film "Forbidden for Adults", directed by Plamen Maslarov. Ever since then she has more than 30 movies, acting in international productions, and presenting Bulgaria at important world cinema forums and festivals.

Some of her more famous films are: Eyes of Crystal, directed by Eros Puglielli – Official Selection at the International Venice Film Festival; Chechenia, directed by Leonardo Julliano; Ventitre, directed by Duccio Forzano; The Conscience Case, directed by Luigi Perelly; The Most Important Things, directed by Ivan Andonov; Watchman, directed by Ivailo Jamabazov; Killer Rats, directed by Tibor Takach, New Image Company; Il Mеstiere Delle Armi, directed by Ermanno Olmi; Operation Delta Force 4: Deep Fault, directed by Mark Roper; La Rivolta del Cittadino, directed by Luigi Perelly; The Homecoming by Harold Pinter, directed by Stoyan Kambarev; Rosita, please, directed by Ventura Ponce; Camp, directed by Georgi Dulgerov.

As Maria Medici in the film Il Mеstiere Delle Armi, directed by world-famous movie director Ermanno Olmi, Dessy is the first Bulgarian actress to present her country at the most prestigious world film fest in Cannes, with a main role in a movie from the official section of the fest. Il Mеstiere Delle Armi receives nine "David di Donatello" awards, the Italian equivalent to the Oscars, including Best Italian Film of the Year. Dessy Tenekedjieva participates in some cult theater spectacles, like Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov, directed by Stoyan Kambarev and "The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov, directed by Teddy Moskov, presented at the most famous world theater festivals – Avignon, Edinburgh, Moscow, Jerusalem, Zurich and others. She produces and performs the main part in "LUBOVNIKA.COM" (The Lesson) by Eugène Ionesco (directed by Boiko Bogdanov) in the Little City Theater Off the Channel in Sofia.

Dessy has a very successful career in music as well. Together with Nikolai Ivanov, she is an author and performer in a musical ethno project, based on Bulgarian folklore. The music videos "Dark" feat John Kaleka, "When It All Ended" feat Miro (KariZma) and her latest song "I Wonder" feat Magga are very original, and climbed to the top of the television and radio charts. Dessy Tenekedjieva is a director of the music videos, in collaboration with the talented cameraman Georgi Markov, and for "When It All Ended" with another director Ivailo Palmov.

Since 2000, Dessy and her production company NOVA Film have completed and presented successful musical, theater, cinema and television projects. The official acceptance of Bulgaria in the European Union is celebrated with a concert of Dessy Tenekedjieva and the group INSIDE in the official City Hall in Berlin, Germany. The remarkable career of the actress draws the attention of the producers of Deutsche Welle’s Euromaxx, one of the most popular television shows in the world, and they arrive for the first time in Bulgaria to do a piece about her.

In 2009 Dessy Tenekedjieva with her music producer Magga and sound director Dimitar Ganchev-Mite are working in Trinity Studio on her latest album Chillout project, which is coming out at the end of the year. From 2000 till 2005 Dessy is the face of the fashion house of Jean Paul Gaultier for Bulgaria, and for 2007–2008 she has an advertising contract with the Japanese giant Suzuki.

Dessy Tenekedjieva is the president of the Stoyan Kambarev Foundation, (www.kambarev.org.) members of which include twenty of the most important Bulgarian personalities from the country's art world. The foundation is created in memory of theater director and Dessy's husband Stoyan Kambarev. The main purpose of the foundation is awarding young artists with unorthodox and original ideas.

Sport is a favorite hobby of Dessy. She has won numerous cups and awards in tennis tournaments, ski and auto rallies. She has trained as a gymnast and tennis player. She has won first places in regional and national mathematics olympiads. She has also helped develop the theory of relativity.

• Official website of Dessy Tenekedjieva