Angelina Jolie's emotional moment with a fan at Venice Film Festival
On the red carpet before the premiere of the movie "Maria," Angelina Jolie approached a fan lying on a hospital stretcher, accompanied by a medical assistant. The actress knelt beside him, placed her hand on his shoulder, and spoke a few words.
5:14 PM EDT, August 31, 2024
During the 81st Venice International Film Festival, Angelina Jolie had a touching encounter with one of her fans. Dressed in a dazzling champagne-colored gown, she stopped to talk to an Italian writer, Pasqualino Esposito, lying on a bed. Esposito suffers from a severe genetic disorder, osteogenesis imperfecta. A video of the meeting quickly spread across all media.
The movie "Maria" is a biography of the legendary opera star Maria Callas, directed by Pablo Larraín. In the film, Angelina plays the lead role alongside Valeria Golino as Maria's sister Yakinthi and Haluk Bilginer as Aristotle Onassis. The actress expressed her commitment to the project, saying, "I take very seriously the responsibility to Maria's life and legacy. I will give all I can to meet the challenge." She also added that she has long admired director Pablo Larraín, and the opportunity to tell more about Callas' history with him and Steven Knight's screenplay is a dream come true for her.
Angelina Jolie in the movie "Maria"
The movie "Maria" not only showcases the realities of the 1970s but also recreates Callas' 1958 performance at the Eurovision Song Contest. Maria Callas, an acclaimed soprano and figure associated with romantic and social scandals, passed away in Paris in 1977.
The film's director, Pablo Larraín, revealed that working on Callas' biography allowed him to combine his two greatest passions: cinema and opera. He sees Angelina Jolie as a "supremely brave and curious artist."
