Balancing acting, music, and filmmaking, Anna Rezan continues to shape a multifaceted career driven by bold storytelling and international reach. The Greek American actress, singer, and filmmaker is currently gaining attention for the well-rated series Great Kills and her powerful documentary My People, which explores a lesser-known chapter of Holocaust history. In this interview, Anna reflects on her global projects, working alongside Academy Award winners, her multidisciplinary artistic identity, and the importance of female-driven narratives in contemporary cinema.
“Great Kills” achieved an impressive rating on IMDb. What do you believe this series represents in your career as a breakout actress?
It’s an incredible pleasure to work with this gang …These days, on the set of our TV series, Great Kills, James Merendino and Lisa Hammer and Steve Stanulis have created a loving, energized space not only to perform but also to just be ourselves, and that’s why I believe the audience loves the show so much.It has been a breath of fresh air to be part of a fun comedic project after creating a film about ww2.
Your documentary My People highlights a lesser-known chapter of Holocaust history. What personally surprised you the most during the research and directing process of the film?
Research often uncovers little-known aspects of the war, such as the stories of women veterans, the experiences of minority soldiers facing racism, or bizarre military research projects like pigeon-guided missiles.
Ultimately, the most surprising element is often the direct confrontation with the human experience of war, whether through the raw emotion in a veteran’s eyes or the stark reality of period footage, which consistently transcends expectations and planned narratives.
What was it like working alongside two Academy Award winners on the production of My People? Did this partnership influence your perspective as a director?
As said before working with Academy Award winners Mitchel Block and Kim Magnusson has been an “honor and a blessing” that significantly boosted my self-belief. This collaboration validated my vision and offered crucial support for my directorial debut.
The support she received, particularly as a female filmmaker working with a predominantly male team on this specific project, demonstrated that the right backing can help a director achieve their vision and overcome obstacles. The collaboration allowed me to focus on the universal message of my film: transforming trauma into a belief in love and life.
You navigate acting, music, performance art, and directing. How do you balance so many artistic facets without losing your creative identity?
It’s actually allows my skills to inform one another. Your directorial eye can enhance your performance art; your musicality can inform your acting rhythm. that requires you to act, direct, and perform on music. This integration helped me to solidify my multidisciplinary identity.
I gotta say that common themes, messages, or questions that resonate across my work in acting, music, performance art, and directing. This unified purpose is my core identity. I explore vulnerability in human connection through sound, movement, and visual storytelling.This mission guides my project choices and ensure all work feels relevant.
Your cover of “Baila Morena,” by Julio Iglesias, reflects a very personal artistic approach. What motivated you to revisit this particular song?
I revisited “Baila Morena” with a cover version in 2023, featuring Taavi Vartia, motivated by an approach that reimagines the song to celebrate female beauty and empowerment. I sought to flip the song’s narrative. While the original song, written from a male perspective, admires and celebrates a woman’s beauty, mU cover is intended to showcase a woman admiring and honoring the beauty of another woman… I hope that listeners will love the new song, dance to it, and smile while watching the beauty depicted in the music video by the landscapes of Greece.
You have upcoming projects being filmed in countries such as Greece, Germany, Finland, Canada, and the United Kingdom. How does this international presence influence your artistic vision?
It influences my vision by exposing me to diverse global ideas, techniques, and markets, fostering cross-cultural synthesis while also raising challenges regarding authenticity, cultural appropriation, and commercial approach. I draw inspiration from a vast global reservoir, blending techniques, styles and themes from various cultures to create hybrid art forms that reflect an interconnected world. It definitely broadens my horizons and work as a form of “artistic diplomacy”
Between a romantic comedy, a World War II epic, and the new pilot you’re currently developing, which of these projects most reflects the artist you are today?
All of them are equally important to me.These are passion projects and reflect my personal touch and optimistic outlook.The most important thing for me is to create motion pictures that inspire us, encourage us to make a difference and send us from the screen with a greater sense of possibility and hope for the future.
I already created a ww2 piece so it will be another wish come true to direct a romantic comedy .It is my favourite genre and there’s a reason the core narratives of rom-coms are highly relatable. Audiences can see aspects of themselves in the characters’ experiences with love, which can create a deep emotional connection and a shared sense of “tingle” or yearning.
You’re about to release a duet with Craig Walker. How did this collaboration come about, and what can we expect from this musical encounter?
We have been friends for years. I ve been a fan of his work since a was a kid … Craig is a highly expressive vocalist who steered Archive’s sound towards psychedelic and progressive rock…We haven’t decided yet.. have been playing around with ideas… I guess it’s as simple as expecting the unexpected(laughs).
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