Severina Lajtman
Severina Lajtman | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2003 (age 21–22) |
| Nationality | Croatian |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Television | Sram |
Severina Lajtman is a Croatian actress. She is notable for her portrayal of Vanessa in the Croatian TV series Sram.
Early life and education
[edit]Of Romani descent, Severina Lajtman grew up in Piškorovec, Međimurje County, and has 12 half-siblings.[1][2][3] She attended elementary school in Mala Subotica.[4] At the age of 14, she moved to Držimurec, and later to Zagreb, where she studied Romanian and Ukrainian at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.[5][3] She was named after the Croatian pop singer Severina Vučković.[6]
In 2016, while Lajtman was in the seventh grade, a short biographical documentary film titled Naša Seve (Our Seve) was released, depicting her upbringing in a Romani settlement. In the film, she expressed her aspiration to become an actress, with the goal of challenging stereotypes about the lives of Romani women and emphasizing the importance of education.[4]
Career
[edit]Lajtman began her acting career as a theatre actress, starring in Pogledajme (Lookatme), a play about the life of young Romani people and the discrimination they face; the play was staged in thirteen cities across Croatia.[3][7]
In 2023, Lajtman attracted media attention as the first Romani woman to appear on the cover of the Croatian edition of Elle, under the editorial leadership of Jelena Veljača. Following this milestone, both Veljača and Lajtman appeared as guests on Kod nas doma to discuss the significance of the achievement,[8] after which Lajtman was also featured as a guest on RTL Direkt.[9]
In 2024, Lajtman landed her first major television role in HRT's teen drama television series Sram, the Croatian remake of the Norwegian series Skam. She portrays Vanessa, a Romani girl studying cosmetology, who befriends Eva and Nora, the central characters of the series.[10][11] Vanessa also serves as the counterpart to Sana Bakkoush from the original Norwegian series.
In 2025, Lajtman starred as Bogdana in Kismet, a short film about an 11-year-old Romani girl navigating cultural expectations within her community.[12]
Filmography
[edit]Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Dobro jutro, Hrvatska | Herself | Guest |
| Kod nas doma | |||
| RTL Direkt | |||
| 2024–present | Sram | Vanessa | Main role |
Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Naša Seve | Herself | Short documentary film |
| 2025 | Kismet | Bogdana | Short film |
References
[edit]- ^ "Severina Lajtman odrasla je u Međimurju, a danas je prva Romkinja na naslovnici Ellea" [Severina Lajtman grew up in Međimurje, and today she is the first Romani woman on the cover of Elle]. regionalni.com (in Croatian). Regionalni Tjednik. 28 September 2023. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
- ^ "Severina Lajtman - prva Romkinja na naslovnici hrvatskog Ellea" [Severina Lajtman – the first Romani woman on the cover of Croatian Elle] (in Croatian). Croatian Radiotelevision. 3 October 2023. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
- ^ a b c Pavić, Siniša (9 October 2023). "Pričali smo s prvom Romkinjom na naslovnici hrvatskog Ellea: 'Umori riječ koja se prvo pojavi kad ukucam svoje ime u tražilicu'" [We spoke with the first Romani woman on the cover of Croatian Elle: "I'm tired of the word that appears first when I search for my name."] (in Croatian). Novi list. Archived from the original on 11 May 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
- ^ a b "VIDEO Pogledajte film o Severini, malom draguljčiću iz Međimurja" [VIDEO: Watch the film about Severina, the little gem from Međimurje.]. varazdinski.net.hr (in Croatian). 2 November 2016. Archived from the original on 11 May 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
- ^ "Severina Lajtman ruši sve predrasude: Najveća mi je želja da priče poput moje budu normalne" [Severina Lajtman breaks all stereotypes: "My greatest wish is for stories like mine to become normal."]. diva.vecernji.hr (in Croatian). Večernji list. 24 November 2023. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023.
- ^ G., E. (16 November 2023). "Ova djevojka je čudo: Nekada odrastala u romskom naselju, a danas studira i krasi naslovnice" [This girl is a miracle: She once grew up in a Romani settlement, and today she studies and graces magazine covers.]. zagreb.info (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 3 March 2024.
- ^ ""POGLEDAJME": predstava o životu mladih Romkinja i Roma u izvedbi Severine Lajtman, stipendistice Zaklade SOLIDARNA" ["LOOK AT ME": A play about the lives of young Romani women and men, performed by Severina Lajtman, a scholarship recipient of the SOLIDARNA Foundation.]. solidarna.hr. Archived from the original on 18 February 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
- ^ "Zvjezdana prašina: Jelena Veljača i Severina Lajtman". Kod nas doma / Croatian Radiotelevision. 23 July 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Severina u Direktu: 'Da mogu birati, ponovno bih odabrala da sam Romkinja. To je posebno, morate osjetiti" ['Severina on Direkt: "If I could choose, I would choose to be Romani again. It’s something special — you have to feel it."]. net.hr (in Croatian). 27 November 2023. Archived from the original on 24 July 2024.
- ^ "SRAM S.01 EP.03 - Trebaš naći ekipu". youtube.com (in Croatian). Sram / Croatian Radiotelevision. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Likovi - Sram" [Characters - Sram]. sram.hr. CGM Films / Croatian Radiotelevision. 2024. Archived from the original on 29 December 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
- ^ Miklić, Danijel (6 May 2025). "Priznanja "Zečjem nasipu" u Linzu i "Kismetu" u Oberhausenu" (in Croatian). Glas Slavonije. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025.