Helena Cortesina

Helena Cortesina (17 July 1903 — 7 March 1984), also known as Elena Cortesina or Elena Manuela Dolores Cortés Altabas, was a Spanish film director, actor, producer, and theatrical entrepreneur. She directed and produced the first known film by a Spanish woman, Flor de España o la leyenda de un torero, which has since been lost. She acted in the film alongside her sisters, Ofelia and Angélica, who were collectively referred to as the Hermanas Cortesina.

Early life and career She began her career as a dancer, performing to songs by Spanish composers, with an aesthetic heavily influenced by Greek art.