Background
Maria Koleva was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, and studied chemical engineering in the United States and Germany before emigrating to France in 1971.
Maria Koleva was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, and studied chemical engineering in the United States and Germany before emigrating to France in 1971.
There she studied cinema in Vincennes and began work as a film-maker.
Koleva is also credited as a producer, film-editor and cinematographer. Her 1982 four-hour film-book L"état de bonheur. Her 1974 film Louisiana fête aujourd"hui, la fête demain featured the English rock band The Who performing in Paris in 1972.
She also made five films on Antoine Vitez featuring the French director conducting workshop sessions.
In 1989 Koleva conducted a 45-day hunger strike to bring attention to the fact that independent film-makers were unable to obtain distribution on French television After 1990, Koleva worked more in video and digital format than in film.