Angelina Jolie has gotten new perspectives in interpreting the famous singer Maria Callas, especially regarding what the word diva means.
At a panel pre the premiere of her film Maria at the 81st Venice Film Festival, Jolie, 49, shared her thoughts about the term ‘diva,’ which is usually associated with negativity. She said that the part in the movie which she acted has made her see the word in a different way.
Jolie said that what the term means is often the result of how other people regard a woman, which is often different from what she actually was or wanted to be. She said Callas is one of the most dedicated persons who did not hurt anyone; she questioned the meaning of the word ‘diva’ if seen in the perspective of the great composers who appreciated her work.
When asked how she personally connected herself to Maria Callas, Angelina Jolie laughed and then gave a subtle suggestion that there was much more than it was seen at the first sight. She also said that she felt there was something she and Callas shared, and that was the underappreciation of her more vulnerable emotional side.
Jolie also mentioned the difficulties of setting oneself for the role and stated that she had been practicing her voice for nearly seven months. Thus, she remembered the first singing session with a part of fear and with her children who closed the door to prevent her from being disrupted.
She thanked director Pablo Larraín for his consideration, beginning her preparation in a cramped little space and ending in the magnificent hall of La Scala. Jolie also stated that she felt worried about being able to live up to standards set by Callas, however grateful for the time and freedom Larraín gave her.
Maria, which is inspired by true events of the Archont Evzin Maria Callas, tries to capture the tempestuous, beautiful and tragic of the diva’s last days in the 1970s of Paris. The story for the film was penned by Stephen Knight and more specifically the film is about the life of Maria Callas and focuses on the last period of her life.
In the press conference during the Venice Film Festival, someone posed the question to Angelina Jolie about getting Oscar for her performance. From this, she said that she has no worry on awards is much as she wants to satisfy the Callas fans and opera lovers. Jolie said that her major concern is to fail those who trust Callas, though, she would be pleased with any feedback from the industry.
Currently, Netflix has bought the rights of Maria but the specific date of the show has not been determined yet. The Venice Film Festival starts from August 28 till 7 of September.
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