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Angelina Jolie and ‘Maria’ Director Pablo Larraín on Capturing the Diva’s Operatic Life: ‘Her Destiny Was Her Tragedy. But There’s So Much Beauty There’

Angelina Jolie and director Pablo Larraín discuss making 'Maria' and crying during the standing ovation the film received at Venice.

Angelina Jolie received a thunderous, eight-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival following the world premiere of Pablo Larraín’s “ Maria.” The reception moved the Oscar-winning actress to tears and left her contemplating the legacy of Maria Callas, the opera diva she brings so thrillingly to life on screen. “Maria” is part of Larraín’s trilogy of iconic, often misunderstood women, one that began with “Jackie” (2016), starring Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy, and “Spencer” (2021), which featured Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana. It helps that “Maria” is probably the strongest entry in Larraín’s series, featuring a compelling script by Oscar nominee Steven Knight (“Dirty Pretty Things”) that chronicles Callas’ final days and shows the human side of a legend.

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