Angelina Jolie moved to tears during ‘Maria’ standing ovation at Venice Film Festival
By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN
(CNN) — Angelina Jolie had a moving experience at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday.
The Oscar-winner attended the Venice Film Festival premiere of her upcoming film “Maria” and was greeted by such roaring – and reportedly lengthy – applause following the screening, that she appeared visibly emotional.
Jolie was escorted down a staircase in the theater amid the thunderous ovation and was seen wiping tears from her face, video footage shows.
The film’s director Pablo Larraín, along with “Maria” cast members Alba Rohrwacher and Pierfrancesco Favino, were also inside the theater on Thursday.
“Maria” is a biopic starring Jolie as Maria Callas, one of the world’s greatest opera singers. Taking place in 1970s Paris, the film tells the story of Callas’ tragic and tumultuous life and chronicles her final days.
The movie has already garnered Oscars buzz following its premiere in Venice.
Larraín previously directed 2016’s “Jackie” starring Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and 2021’s “Spencer” featuring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana. Both actresses earned Academy Award nominations for their performances.
Speaking at a press conference for the new film earlier on Thursday, Jolie said that she was able to relate to Callas in surprising ways, according to People.
Among them, she said, 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, and as emotionally open as she truly was.”
“I share her vulnerability more than anything,” Jolie said.
On Wednesday, Netflix announced that “Maria” will be shown on the streamer at a later date.
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