Zeudi Araya

Zeudi Araya (born 10 February 1951) is an Eritrean former actress, singer, model and film producer.

Zeudi Araya
Araya in 1975
Born	(1951-02-10) 10 February 1951 (age 74) Dekemhare, British Military Administration in Eritrea
Spouse	Franco Cristaldi ​ ​ (m. 1983; died 1992)​
Partner(s)	Massimo Spano (1994–present)
Children	Michelangelo Spano

Life and career

The daughter of a local politician and the nephew of the Ethiopian diplomat who also served as Ambassador in Italy, in 1969 Araya won the Miss Eritrea contest and subsequently started a modeling career.^[1] In 1972, Araya shot a commercial for the coffee Tazza D'Oro, and was noted by director Luigi Scattini, who cast her with Beba Lončar in La ragazza dalla pelle di luna shot in the Seychelles.^[1] In 1973, she made her singing debut recording two songs composed by Piero Umiliani for the score of another Scattini film, The Off-Road Girl.^[1] From 1973 to 1975, she starred in several films produced by P.A.C., then following her love story with film producer Franco Cristaldi in 1976 she became an exclusive actress for Cristaldi's Vides, starring in several high-profile comedies.^[1]

Araya's last prominent appearances were in the epic Hearts and Armour (1983) and in Giuliano Montaldo's all-star sci-fi thriller Control.^[1] Araya subsequently withdrew from acting, and has since then been producing movies.^[1] She was the Gold Lion Lifetime Achievement winner at the 2011 Venice Film Festival.^[2]

Personal life

Araya was married to film producer Franco Cristaldi from 1983 until his death in 1992. Since 1994 she lives with the director Massimo Spano [it], with whom she has a son.^[1]

Selected filmography

Araya in La ragazza dalla pelle di luna (1973)

• La ragazza dalla pelle di luna – "Simone" (1973)
• The Off-Road Girl – "Maryam" (1973)
• The Prey – "Nagaina" (1974)
• The Body – "Simoa" (1974)
• La peccatrice – "Debra" (1975)
• Mr. Robinson – "Venerdì" (1976)
• Neapolitan Mystery – "Elizabeth" (1978)
• Tesoro mio – "Tesoro Hoaua" (1979)
• Atrocious Tales of Love and Death – "Elizabeth Hover" (1979)
• Hearts and Armour – "Marfisa" (1983)
• Control – "Sheba" (1987)

Producer

• Marching in Darkness -"Zeudi Araya Cristaldi" (1996)
• Franco Cristaldi e il suo cinema Paradiso (2009)

Discography

• Oltre l'acqua del fiume/Maryam (Bla Bla, BBR 1338, 7") (1973)