Tela Tchaï Explained

Birth Name:	Martha Noémi Famin
Birth Date:	10 August 1909
Birth Place:	Roubaix, France
Death Place:	Saint-Tropez, France
Occupation:	Actress, painter, model, dancer
Notable Works:	L'Atlantide, Les Mystères de Paris, Farandole

Martha Noémi Winterstein (née Famin;^[1] known as Tela Tchaï;^[2] August 10, 1909 – July 15, 1993)^[3] was a French actress, painter, model, and dancer of Romani origin.

Biography

Tela Tchaï was born and raised in Roubaix.^[4] She was a model for several painters, including André Derain. As an actress, she starred in a dozen films, before becoming a painter herself. One of her paintings, entitled Bouquet de fleurs, was acquired in 2019 by the La Piscine Museum.^[5]

Filmography

• 1932: L'Atlantide by Georg Wilhelm Pabst: Tanit Zerga
• 1932: Gitanes / Les Deux routes, by Jacques de Baroncelli: Tela-Tchaï
• 1932: Bolero by Max Reichmann^{[6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]}
• 1934: Roi de Camargue by Jacques de Baroncelli: Zinzara^[12]
• 1937: La Symphonie des brigands / Peppino by Friedrich Fehér: the servant
• 1937: Les Secrets de la mer Rouge by Richard Pottier: Sultana
• 1939: Tourelle 3, unfinished film^[13] by Christian-Jaque: Mayena^[14]
• 1943: Les Mystères de Paris by Jacques de Baroncelli: La Punaise
• 1945: Farandole by André Zwobada: the fortune teller

Bibliography

• Gérard Gartner: TLes sept plasticiens précurseurs tsiganes. Otto Mueller – Serge Poliakoff – Helios Gomez – Tela Tchaï – Django Reinhardt – Constantin Nepo – Yana Rondolotto, Marinoel editions, Paris, 2011.
• Germain Hirselj, "Tela Tchaï, la vamp des grands chemins", in People and stones of Roubaix, No. 31, November 2021, p.14-23.

References

1. Web site: Renoul . Bruno . 2022-04-09 . Le singulier destin de Tela Tchaï, la Tsigane de Roubaix devenue modèle, actrice et peintre . 2024-09-13 . La Voix du Nord . fr.
2. Other spellings of her name: Tela Tschaï or Tela-Tchaï
3. Web site: Tela TCHAÏ . 2024-09-13 . www.lesgensducinema.com.
4. https://archivesdepartementales.lenord.fr/?id=viewer&doc=accounts%2Fmnesys_ad59%2Fdatas%2Fir%2FEtat%20civil%2FFRAD059_MI_A_Z_2011_07_01%2Exml&page_ref=615849&lot_num=1&img_num=1 Birth certificate No. 1622 (view 9/347) with marginal note of recognition.
5. Web site: Renoul . Bruno . 2023-02-25 . Téla Tchaï, la tsigane devenue actrice, va donner son nom à une rue de Roubaix . 2024-09-13 . La Voix du Nord . fr.
6. News: fr . From screen to stage. The cinema . La République . June 30, 1934 . 7 .
7. News: fr . Our cover. Tela Tchaï . Midinette . 431 . February 15, 1935 . 3 .
8. News: fr . Pierre-Henry Proust . The cinema and its trends. Dance inspiring films . Comœdia . July 27, 1935 . 4 .
9. News: January 8, 1938 . Memories of Maurice Ravel and the cinema . Le Jour . fr.
10. News: fr . The life of cinema from one Wednesday to another. The cinema should not forget Ravel . Pour vous . 478 . January 12, 1938 . 10 .
11. News: Manuel Cornejo . 2012 . Maurice Ravel and the Seventh Art . Cahiers Maurice Ravel . 107-108 . fr . 15 . 978-2-8404-9664-9.
12. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6379814f/f8.item.r=%22tela%20tchai%22.zoom Algiers shows. At the Trianon-Cinema: "Roi de Camargue".
13. Due to the declaration of war. Jean Chevrier, Andrex, and Bernard Blier were also part of the cast.
14. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k410313f/f4.item.r=%22tela%20tchai%22.zoom Tela-Tchaï will be the heroine of Tourelle Trois.