Film on Sarah Bernhardt, the Golden Voice of the Belle Époque, Released in Italy

The film 'La divina di Francia – Sarah Bernhardt', directed by Guillaume Nicloux and starring Sandrine Kiberlain as the legendary actress, is released in Italian cinemas on November 6 via Wanted Cinema. The movie eschews a conventional biopic structure, instead focusing on two key moments—her jubilee and leg amputation—to explore Bernhardt's essence as a symbol of freedom and excess. Nicloux, co-writing with Nathalie Leuthreau, describes the film as a lucid dream rather than a historical account. Kiberlain portrays Bernhardt with a spiky grace, navigating illness and her passion for Lucien Guitry (Laurent Lafitte). The narrative highlights Bernhardt's rebellion: she played male roles, directed her own theater, and defied patriarchal control. The film arrives alongside another release about her rival Eleonora Duse, offering contrasting depictions of artistic absolutism. Nicloux presents Bernhardt not as a monument but as a contemporary figure—excessive, vulnerable, and fiercely modern. The movie is framed as a love letter to visionary women who refused to be tamed, leaving the myth alive as the diva simply walks away.