LATE ENTRY: Pablo Larraín's 'Maria' featuring Angelina Jolie as Maria Calles selected for 51st edition Film Fest Gent

Pablo Larraín, the celebrated Chilean filmmaker known for his nuanced portraits of female icons has already garnered widespread acclaim for Jackie (about Jackie Kennedy) and Spencer (about Princess Diana). Both films propelled their lead actresses - Natalie Portman and Kristen Stewart - toward Oscar nominations. For his latest biopic, Larraín convinced Oscar winner Angelina Jolie to embody Maria Callas, the American-Greek soprano whose voice and dramatic life have immortalised her in history books. Nearly fifty years after her death, Callas' magnetic presence on and off stage continues to fascinate. Maria premiered at the Venice Film Festival to critical acclaim and will feature in Film Fest Gent's Gala & Specials section.

Synopsis

The biopics of acclaimed Chilean director Pablo Larraín - Jackie about Jackie Kennedy and Spencer about Princess Diana - stand miles apart from the conventional biographical film. His latest work follows this same path. Maria is a portrait - both glorious and tragic - of Maria Callas, the most influential opera star of the twentieth century. The world-renowned soprano passed away in 1977 from a heart attack, after years of increasing seclusion in her Paris apartment. Despite her tumultuous life, Callas became a true icon in the post-WWII era, particularly noted for her unconventional and commanding approach to performance. Maria shows the final week of the diva's life, while exploring her turbulent past through evocative flashbacks - from her unhappy childhood under the shadow of a domineering mother to her tempestuous love affair with magnate Aristotle Onassis. Larraín deliberately blurs the lines between Callas' dreams and the facts, creating a compelling and poetic film, with an intoxicating performance by Oscar winner Angelina Jolie as 'La Divina'.

Distributor The Searchers will release Maria in Belgian theatres. A release date has not yet been set.

Screenings

Fri 18.10 | 09:30 • Kinepolis 6 (PRESS SCREENING)
Fri 18.10 | 20:00 • Kinepolis 3 (public screening)