Sofija Jovanović bila je naša prva pozorišna i filmska rediteljka.
Glumu je završila na Akademiji u Beogradu i zaslužna je za procvat Beogradskog dramskog pozorišta od 1951. Tokom Drugog svetskog rata bila je partizanka i prva predstava koju je organizovala u Narodnom pozorištu bio je zadatak koji je dobila veoma brzo nakon oslobađanja Beograda. Za jedan dan Soja je uspela da pripremi i uspešno režira predstavu koja je izvedena na kongresu antifašističke omladine.
U nedostatku dramske literature, Soja za nekoliko meseci savladava ruski i počinje da prevodi sovjetske pisce.
Tokom karijere bavila se komedijom i režirala osam filmova, od kojih su četiri bile adaptacije knjiga Branislava Nušića. Takođe je adaptirala komedije Jovana Sterije Popovića, Stevana Sremca i Branka Ćopića. Prvi film koji je režirala bio je „Sumnjivo lice“ (1954.), a istoimena predstava u njenoj režiji iz 1947. je bio prvi pokušaj modernog tumačenja Nušića.
Soja Jovanović je bila režiserka i prvog dugometražnog jugoslovenskog filma u boji – „Pop Ćira i pop Spira“, koji je na filmskom festivalu u Puli, pored još dva filma, proglašen za najbolji.
Sofija Jovanović was the first female Yugoslav theatre and movie director.
She finished acting on the Academy in Belgrade and she massively contributed to the renaissance of the Beogradsko dramsko pozorište (Belgrade Drama Theatre) from 1952 onwards. During the Second World War she was a partisan and her first directing gig was a task from the Party, shortly after the liberation of Belgrade. In only one day, Soja managed to arrange everything and direct the show well for the Congress of the Anti-Fascist Youth Union.
In the absence of the foreign theatre plays, Soja learned Russian in just a few months and she started translating Russian and Soviet writers.
Throughout her career she directed many comedy shows as well as the movies, of which four were adaptations of the books of a writer Branislav Nušić. Soja as well did adaptations of the comedies of the following writers: Jovan Sterija Popović, Stevan Sremac i Branko Ćopić. First movie she directed was „Sumnjivo lice“ (1954) and interestingly, her directing of the theatre play with the same name was the first modern adaptations of the writer Nušić.
Soja was the director of the first Yugoslav technicolor movie – „Pop Ćira i pop Spira“ which got important awards.