Angelina Jolie in Tears During 8-Minute Ovation for ‘Maria’ at Venice Festival

Pablo Larraín’s Maria , with Angelina Jolie as the famed opera singer Maria Callas, captivated the audience at Sala Grande on Thursday night. The Venice Film Festival crowd responded to its world premiere with an electrifying eight-minute standing ovation, during which Jolie was seen in tears.

It’s been a busy week for Maria . On Wednesday, Netflix confirmed it had acquired distribution rights to the film. “I’m excited to partner again with the Netflix team who care so passionately about movies,” Larraín said in a statement. “This film is my most personal work yet. It is a creative imagining and psychological portrait of Maria Callas, who, after dedicating her life to performing, finally decides to find her own voice and sing for herself.”

Jolie also made her first public statements on the project during a press conference held Thursday afternoon ahead of the screening. She revealed that she spent about seven months preparing for the challenging role. This preparation included training with opera singers and coaches to master the posture, breathing, and movement vital for a singer of Callas’ caliber. Diving deep into opera offered “therapy I didn’t realize I needed,” Jolie told the press.

“I had no idea how much I was holding in and not letting out,” she continued. “The challenge wasn’t the technical aspect, but an emotional experience. It was about finding my voice, being in my body, and expressing myself. You have to give every single part of yourself.” As to how she related to Callas, Jolie noted it was “the part of her that’s extremely soft and doesn’t have room in the world to be as soft as she truly was — as emotionally open as she truly was. I share her vulnerability more than anything.”

Based on true accounts, Maria tells the tumultuous and tragic story of the renowned opera singer’s final days in 1970s Paris. The script was written by Steven Knight. Jolie leads a cast that includes Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Haluk Bilginer, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Valeria Golino. The producers are Juan de Dios Larraín for Fabula, Jonas Dornbach for Komplizen Film, and Lorenzo Mieli for The Apartment, a Fremantle company.

Jolie’s appearance at the Venice Film Festival is part of a wave of A-list talent gracing the event this year, marking a significant return to Hollywood glitz and glamour. Notable stars presenting their films at the festival include Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton, Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Jude Law, and more.

Source: Venice Film Festival, Netflix