Martha Van Der Bly — Newest Projects & Headlines
It is confirmed that ‘Commend ‘em All’, a mock-documentary about a nationless football team directed by Chris Harrington and featuring Martha as seventies-filmstar Julissa Vandenberg,will premiere in a football stadium in Dublin.
October sees Martha taking up a new challenge: charity. Surf Magazine NL publishes her story about The Cariblanco Surfclub, a truly wonderful charity project aiming to keep children in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica out of the hands of drugs traders. Check out: www.puravidaproject.org or the link-section of this website!
September sees Martha working on the project “A Real Irish Girl”, with Irish photographer Colm Mulllen. This is the second in a series of photographs, in which Martha takes on various national identities. “A Viennese Girl” (with Marcus Richardson) re-imagines paintings of Bohemian painter Egon Schiele. “A Real Irish Girl” explores romanticism and stability in the context of Celtic mysticism and will be shot on location in Ireland. The first pictures of “A Viennese Girl” are now in the model-section. Check it out!
After busy months of traveling and acting in film and on stage, August and September sees Martha back home in Dublin. She is currently writing her first novel in English, partly set in Ireland.
A busy summer! July 2008 sees Martha filming the role of Daphne in Het Leven Uit 1 Dag (One Day, One Life), the debut feature of Emmy-nominated director Mark de Cloe. De Cloe received a Emmy- nomination for art film Valse Wals. Martha is looking forward working with Matthijs van de Sande Bakhuyzen, one of Holland’s most promising young actors. One Day, One Life tells the beautiful story of true love and of time: how with time love fades, but also about the timelessness of true love. True love never dies. Meanwhile, feature film ‘8.5 hrs.’ has its premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh in Ireland.
June sees Martha working with British photographer Marcus Richardson on the project ‘A Viennese Girl’. ‘A Viennese Girl’ is a collection of contemporary photographic re-interpretations of the paintings of the controversial 19th century Viennese painter Egon Schiele. ‘A Viennese Girl’ reflects the timelessness of Schiele’s work and is at the same time the visual exploration of Martha’s own Viennese background, questioning the movements of time and space. Maybe nothing really changes, after all.
Stay tuned for more news on ‘A Viennese Girl’!
May sees Martha performing in Amsterdam in ‘Los’, an elaboration of Maxim Gorki’s The Lower Depths. Performances are in Het Gasthuis Theater in Amsterdam, 13-17 May at 9 pm.Feature film 8.5.hrs, shot last year in Dublin with Martha playing the part of Lori, has now almost finished post-production. The musical score is composed by Karim Elmahmoudi, whose music credits include the TV series "Lost”. Check out the stills of 8.5.hrs and A Short Story of Love in the film section.
April sees Martha rehearsing for the play ‘The Lower Depths’ by Maxim Gorki. Directed by Natasha Schulte and with a strong cast of twelve renowned actors, this will be a wonderful production. The play raises important questions, relevant in Russia around the 19th century, still relevant today. When the underneath is brought to surface, coming closer than you could ever imagine: where do you stand?
Performances are 13-17 May in Theater Gasthuis in Amsterdam
March sees Martha travelling for the first time to Africa, exploring with friends the treasures of Sierra Leone. Last month, halfway filming Faceless, Placeless one of the African actors had to drop out, fearing his participation in the film could affect his case for asylum…
In March rehearsals begin for the famous Russian play The Lower Depths by Maxim Gorki. Directed by Natascha Schulte, performances are in May in Amsterdam. Martha plays the role of Anna.
The new year has kicked off exciting with filming in Ireland. ‘Faceless, Placeless’, tells the story of two idealistic, young lovers coming to grips with forced separation due to imminent deporation. When he is forced to return to Sudan, will she keep her hopes for one world society?
Starring Martha as Finnish girl Greta, the film is directed by American director Chris Harrington. Music by Irish composer Éánán Patterson. Patterson won in 2007 the award for best original score at the Los Angeles 48 hour Film Contest.
‘A Short Story of Love’ will be screened on the 25th of February in ‘Het Ketelhuis’ in Amsterdam.
December has seen Martha playing the lead of Alice in ‘A Short Story of Love’, a Kieslowski-remake, produced by the HKU in Utrecht… This is Martha’s first production in her native language, Dutch. It tells the story of the brief love-affair between Alice and 19-year-old, Nathan.
PS: Don’t forget to check out Martha’s new pics in the model-section…
Martha filming ‘Collect ‘Em All’ with the XISLES in Ireland
December 2007. This new film by American director Christopher Harrington, stars Martha as Julissa Vandenbergh. Julissa is a highprofile actress from the seventies, supporting the XISLES, the world’s first nonnational footballteam. Filmed on location in the Bray Head Hotel, the film tells a story of peace and hope amongst all peoples of the world. Check out the production stills...
Next Martha will be playing the lead of Alice in ‘A Short Story of Love’, her first film production in Dutch. Stay tuned…
Tis Pity She’s a Whore highly successful!
November 2007. Starring Martha in the lead of Annabella, Tis Pity She’s a Whore, has had a totally sold-out run in The Hague. Receiving critical acclaim, a breathless audience watched the tragic love between Giovanni and Annabella unfold. Check out the new pics in the theatre section!
Following this success, British director Chris Sims and Martha, are now working on the short film Time Out. Stay tuned…
Martha back on stage in Holland with Tis Pity She’s a Whore
October 2007. The opening night on 9 October is getting closer! Come and see Martha as Annabella in Theater aan het Spui in The Hague.
John Ford’s historical play about the incestuous relationship between Giovanni and Annabella, directed by British director Chris Sims, stars Omri Rose as Giovanni and Martha Van Der Bly as Annabella. Tis a Pity She is a Whore will be performed 9-11 October 2007, 8.15 pm, in Kleine Zaal, Theater aan het Spui, The Hague. For more details and reservations, see: www.aatg.nl. Check it out.
Martha to work with American filmdirector Christopher Harrington
September 2007. Rumour has it that Martha will be performing in a new film of American photographer and director Christopher Harrington. The film, whose title is yet unknown, is said to be set in the seventies, and will possibly be filmed on location in Ireland. Stay tuned for more details…
See Martha as Annabella in John Ford’s Tis a Pity She is a Whore
August 2007. Martha will perform as the lead of Annabella in John Ford’s black-as-pitch tragedy. Written in 1633, the play's subject is still shocking: incestuous love. Sensitive Annabellla, instead of chosing one of her suitors for an arranged marriage, falls for the love of “one beauty to a double soul”… : her brother. Check it out!
The relationship between siblings Giovanni and Annabella lies at the centre of the play and is the key development leading to the inevitable tragic, brutal and bloody climax. Rehearsals are in August and September. Directed by British director Chris Sims, the AATG will stage Tis a Pity She is a Whore in October in The Hague. Stay tuned for more details…
Martha's first script for a short film: Time Out
June 2007 - Martha writes the script of her first 12’ min short Time Out. A mysterious psycho-thriller set in an anonymous metropole, Time Out shows the destructive forces of passion. Sometimes violence is the only way to freedom. Stay tuned on more exciting developments of Time Out…!
Time Out tells the story of Julia and Patrick, a young and succesful couple with busy jobs, a demanding social life and a hectic timeschedule. But no time for each other. Until Carlos appears in their life and everything changes… But for the better? The story is still a secret… but the tagline is known as 'Without time, there is no love. With time, all love kills…'
Hear Martha whispering old Irish words in Cannes…
May 2007 - Horror film Ghostwood, starring Patrick Bergin (Sleeping with the Enemy) and Alan Devine (King Arthur), and directed by Justin O’Brien, is screened at the Marché du Film in Cannes Filmfestival 2007. Martha did voice-over work for Ghostwood and was post-production assistant for Ghostwood, too.
Modelling in France
May 2007 - Martha completes her work as a model with Paris-based Canal + photographer Raoul Dobremel. Check out the new pics on the website!
Martha the dancer…
April 2007 - Martha decides to take up classical ballet classes with American, L.A. born dancer Pallas Sluyter, following the joyful experience with Brian Lally’s 8.5 hrs. See: www.hollywood.com/celebrity/Pallas_Sluyter.
See Martha as a Tax Consultant. A What? Yes: a tax consultant.
April 2007 - Martha shoots a tax-video clip with Australian film director Angus Farquharson. www.desertfilms.biz.
Martha stars in Brian Lally’s sexy new feature ‘8.5.hrs’.
March 2007 - sees Martha shooting Brian Lally’s feature film ‘8.5. hrs’, playing the extravagant character of LORI. This is in an intense contemporary drama, set in Dublin. www.instigatorfilms.com.
Catch Martha as KATALINA at the the Dublin Film Festival
February 2007 - catch Martha as KATALINA in the world premiere of feature film W.C., directed by Liam O’Mochain at the Dublin Film Festival on Saturday, february 24th at 6.20 pm. The film is about the friendship between an Irish gambler and an illegal Russian immigrant, both trapped in their jobs. But slowly they begin to build a friendship. See: http://www.dubliniff.com/films/show/95.
London is the place to be!
January 2007 - January sees Martha travelling to London, catching up with Cannes 2006-friends, Johny Hansler and the Teakshow. Brilliantly funny! Check out www.theteakshow.com.