| Maria by Callas | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Tom Volf |
| Written by | Tom Volf [1] |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Edited by | Janice Jones [1] |
| Distributed by | Haut et Court |
Release dates |
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Running time | 113 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Languages | English, French, Italian |
| Box office | $1.3 million [2] |
Maria by Callas is a 2017 French documentary film about the life and career of opera singer Maria Callas, written and directed by Tom Volf. [3]
The film depicts the life and work of opera singer Maria Callas in her own words by using her interviews, letters, and performances to tell her story. [4] Told through performances, TV interviews, home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoirs—nearly all of which have never been shown to the public—the film reveals the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar and one of the greatest artists of all time. Opera singer Joyce DiDonato reads her letters and unpublished memoirs; Fanny Ardant narrates in the French version. [5]
Maria by Callas premiered at the Rome Film Festival and at the La Baule Film & Score Festival in November 2017. [6] [1] The film had a release in France on December 13, 2017. The film had a limited release in the United States on November 2, 2018. It was shown on BBC Four on Christmas Day 2020. [7]
The film has earned high critical praise. [8] [9] [10] Maria by Callas currently has a score of 92% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 73 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Maria by Callas offers an intimate look at the life of a brilliantly talented artist whose absorbing story matches the operatic heights reached by her work. [11]
Based on the film, the one-woman-show Maria Callas: Letters & Memoirs starring Monica Bellucci was shown at the Beacon Theatre in New York on 27 January 2023. [12] [13]
Maria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her bel canto technique, wide-ranging voice and dramatic interpretations. Her repertoire ranged from classical opera seria to the bel canto operas of Donizetti, Bellini, and Rossini, and further to the works of Verdi and Puccini, and in her early career to the music dramas of Wagner. Her musical and dramatic talents led to her being hailed as La Divina.
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Callas Forever is a 2002 biographical film directed by Franco Zeffirelli, who co-wrote the screenplay with Martin Sherman. It is an homage to Zeffirelli's friend, internationally acclaimed opera diva Maria Callas, whom he directed on stage in Norma, La traviata, and Tosca. It was his last film before his death in 2019.
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