Joana Preiss

Joana Preiss (born May 22, 1972, in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France) is a French screen artist best known for her work as an actor, while also building a parallel career as a director, singer, and live performer. Moving fluidly between cinema, music, and contemporary art, she has developed a reputation for thoughtful, character-driven work across European projects.

On screen, Preiss has appeared in films by notable auteurs including Christophe Honoré, Olivier Assayas, Nobuhiro Suwa, and Pia Marais. Her filmography includes roles in Paris Je T'aime, Close to Leo, The White Line, In Paris, The Unpolished, Ma mère, Accomplices, and A Perfect Couple, often portraying emotionally nuanced figures at the center of intimate dramas.

Beyond film, she has collaborated with visual artist Nan Goldin and worked with figures such as Ugo Rondinone, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, and Céleste Boursier-Mougenot, while also performing on stage in productions by Pascal Rambert and Eleanor Weber. Trained in classical singing and contemporary music, she frequently performs in concert and co-founded the duo White Tahina, where she sings poetry by Hölderlin.

In 2011, Preiss expanded her creative footprint by directing her first film, Sibérie, underscoring a career defined by cross-disciplinary experimentation and enduring artistic curiosity.