Pablo Larraín's 'Maria' premieres at Venice Film Festival with Angelina Jolie as Callas

Chilean director Pablo Larraín presented his biographical film 'Maria' at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, starring Angelina Jolie as legendary opera singer Maria Callas. The film, co-produced with Italy, focuses on Callas's final week in 1970s Paris, blending memories, demons, and specters of her past. Jolie is joined by Italian actors Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, and Valeria Golino, with costumes by Massimo Cantini Parrini. Larraín, known for portraits of Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana, described the film as not dark but about a woman who spent her life singing for others and now seeks her own destiny. Jolie trained for seven months to sing, calling it a privilege to learn from Callas's recordings. She noted the emotional collaboration with Rohrwacher and the challenge of portraying Callas's solitude and pain. Paris serves as a grand stage, with the opera house spilling into the streets. Larraín's intimate approach celebrates a unique myth through memories, friends, song, and home—both lifeline and prison.