What is the best thing that I love about my work? The feeling of freedom when I am creating. It’s a job that often places me out of time. I don’t know what “daily” means anymore. My weeks are never the same. I go from surprise to surprise in life. My professional field is wide because I am an actress and director. I also teach theater at the University and in other organizations. I regularly meet different people and worlds and I like that.

What is my idea of happiness? Freedom. I also associate happiness with knowing how to live the present moment in lightness. Take the time to feel what I call “the poetry of life”.

What is my greatest fear? Not realizing myself fully in what I want to be.

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? My fiery side. It has also benefited me at times.

Which living persons in my profession do i most admire? Alejandro.Jodorowsky, Peter Brook, Ariane Mnouchkine,Wouajdi Mouawad, Al Pacino, Isabelle Adjani, Philippe Caubère, Jean-Michel Ribes, Merzak Allouache, Jean-Claude Grumberg, Ken Loach, Jacques Audiard, Spike Lee, Francis Ford Coppola, Agnès Jaoui, Olivier Nakache et Eric Tolénado, Pedro Almodovar, Robert Guédiguian, Woodie Allen,

What is my greatest extravagance? Having chosen this job without any connections into this professional environment. Being reasonable would have frustrated me.

On what occasion would I lie? I’m not a liar, I tell the truth quite easily. I can lie if it’s comfortable for everyone involved. Lying is a notion that I find difficult to conceptualize. My profession reflects this: the classic joke is to attribute to me a facility for lying because I am an actress, yet, I am never as sincere and true as when I am on stage or in front of a camera playing characters who are not me, and situations that I have never experienced in reality.

Photo credits: Sarah Robine

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? The slow periods, they give me the impression of being less inspired to create. They often happen after a period of intense work. The sensations are so strong when I work that there is a “down” when a project is finished.

When and where was I the happiest, in my work? On stage and on a film set… It’s an extraordinary feeling.

If I could, what would I change about myself? My doubts. I decided not to hide behind them anymore.

What is my greatest achievement in work? All my projects which were only an idea at the beginning and which I made reality.

Where would I most like to live? I haven’t found it yet, I want the advantages of the city with its bars, its cultural places, its cinemas, its theaters and the pleasures of the countryside, the rivers, the mountains, the sea. I must admit that the call of nature is growing on me. I love to travel, the search continues…

What is my most treasured possession? My freedom.

What is my most marked characteristic? My enthusiasm, my creativity, my curiosity and I hope my insight

What is my most inspirational location, in my city? Two extremes: the lively bars of my city and the “Bois de Vincennes” in Paris.

What is my favorite place to eat and drink, in my city? Several terraces in the pedestrian zone of my city in the Paris suburbs.

What books influenced my life and how? Very much : « Beloved » de T.Morisson, « En Attendant Godot » de S.Beckett, « Phèdre » de Racine, « le Deuxième Sexe » de S.De Beauvoir, « Les Fleurs du Mal » de C.Baudelaire, « Mille Femmes Blanches » de J.Fergus, « Les Fantômes Familiaux » de B.Clavier, « La Question » de H.Alleg, « Que faire? » De N. Tchernychevsky, « Le Rouge et le Noir » de Stendhal, « Liaisons Dangereuses » de P.C Laclos, « La Métamorphose » de F.Kafka, « Femme désirée, Femme désirante » de D.Flaumenbaum, « Histoire des femmes » de G.Duby et M.Perrot, « Grand Peur et Misère du IIIe Reich » de B. Brecht, « Eloge de L’Amour » de A.Badiou…These works reflect the fact that I am a dreamer with my feet firmly on the ground. The world around me interests and challenges me. I seek the sacred and spiritual link with nature which is the source of a necessary poetry in my life while being very concerned with the geopolitical and societal issues of the world in which I live.

Photo credits: Sarah Robine

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day? From classical music, she sublimates all the music I love: Vivaldi, Beethoven, Chopin, an Opera aria like “The Flower Duet” in Lakme or « La ville s’endormait » by J.Brel or « Natural Mystic » by B. Marley

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? All brave female figures with character. The impertinent and those who come out of their social condition. I like heroines who are where you least expect them. I also like passionate people, great lovers, magicians (priestesses, witches): Antigone, La Marquise de Mertheuil, La Kahina, La Fée Morgane, Emma Peel, Scarlett O’hara (I like her temperament but I don’t like who she is), Angélique Marquise des Anges, Thelma and Louise, Catherine Tramel. For men, I like brave and funny heroes. Gangsters too: Scapin, Edmond Dantès, Columbo, Charlot, Cyrano de Bergerac, Tony Soprano, Omar Little, Michael Corleone

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? My parents. The women and men around the world who fight for their rights and their independence. My close circle of friends.

Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime? «Le Destin » deY.Chahine, « Le Dictateur and The Kid » de C.Chaplin, « The Godfather » de F.Ford Coppola, « Do the right thing» de S.Lee, « A Woman Under Influence » de J.Cassavetes, « Les Enfants du Paradis » de M.Carné, « Chat Noir, Chat Blanc » de E.Kusturica.

What role play stories in my life and work? A central role. My life and my work are only a succession of bits of stories. This is why I love meeting new people. There are always events or family history in their life that make each person interesting. A source of inspiration for my work and my life.

What do the words ‘You are the storyteller of your own life’ to me? I am the creator of my life!

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? “Compagnie Les Envolées” for which I am the artistic director and which supports me in all my adventures and artistic endeavours. All the other professional supporters and my loyal friends whom I ask ten times a day for their opinion. They know who they are.

What project, in 2022, am I looking forward to work on? With the reopening of performance halls, pre-pandemic projects and filming is resuming, that’s great! I have directing projects and the great novelty for me is writing. I wrote a play for a creation commissioned by a city on the theme of the Environment. I am also working on the writing of other creations which I will direct. I am also very proud to continue teaching my art.You can follow me on social networks and on my websites.
Websites: http://samia-ramdani-comedienne.fr/ and http://www.samiaramdani.fr/
https://www.facebook.com/samia.ramdani.7/
https://www.instagram.com/samiaramdanicomedienne/

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? These words echo what I have learned from myself. I undertake many things in my life with passion: I create with passion, I work with passion and I love with passion. Passion is not a choice but a state that cannot be controlled. It is there and for me it is very good because the Lukewarmness and caution bore me whatever the field…

Which creative professionals should Peter invite to tell their story? With all the people I admireand were previously mentioned. I would like to play with I.Adjani and Al Pacino, have a role in the next creation of W.Mouawad and Jean-Michel Ribes and play in the next film by J.Audiard, by R.Guediguian, by M.Allouache, by A. Jaoui, by O.Nakache and E.Tolénado, K. Loach, S.Lee, F.F.Coppola, W.Allen, A.Almodovar…

How can you contact me?
samiaramdanicontact@gmail.com
Agent : Christelle DURAND.
DIDASCALIES SPECTACLES
Tél. +33 1 42 57 23 64
christelledurand@didascalies.fr