Angelina Jolie was recently brought to tears at a film festival after receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.
The actress, best known for her roles in Maleficent and Eternals, joined the cast members for Pablo Larraín’s Maria to bring the story of a famed opera singer to life.
Maria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano hailed as one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century, and her legacy was certainly restored on the big screen through Jolie's portrayal.
On Thursday night at the Venice Film Festival, the 49-year-old appeared emotional as the crowd applauded the world premiere of the biopic, giving the star an impressive eight-minute standing ovation at the Palazzo del Cinema in Lido di Venezia.
A video of the interaction was posted to X, formerly Twitter, which showed Jolie and Larraín thanking the audience for their appreciation of the project as Jolie wiped tears from her face.
It comes shortly after Netflix quickly acquired the distribution rights to Maria prior to its premiere at the prestigious festival.
Speaking of the announcement earlier this week, Larraín said: “I’m excited to partner again with the Netflix team who care so passionately about movies. 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 for audiences around the world, decides finally to find her own voice, her own identity, and sing for herself.
"I’m deeply honored to tell this story and share it with audiences worldwide like Maria did with her life," he added in the statement.
Jolie also made her first public statement on the project during a press conference held Thursday afternoon just before the screening, stating that delving deep into the characteristics of the opera singer provided her with the "therapy I didn’t realize I needed."
“I had no idea how much I was holding in and not letting out,” she told the press. “So the challenge wasn’t the technical, it was an emotional experience to find my voice, to be in my body, to express. You have to give every single part of yourself.”
Asked about what part of Callas she most in touch with, Jolie responded: "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.”
Of course we're all well aware that Jolie has had a tough couple years after it was announced that she would be getting divorced from her former husband Brad Pitt.
In September 2016, we learned that Jolie had filed for divorce from her then-husband, Pitt. According to court documents, she cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split and requested physical custody of their six children and visitation for Pitt.
Speaking to PEOPLE at the time, Jolie's attorney told the outlet that this decision was made for the "health of her family."
"Angelina Jolie Pitt has filed for dissolution of the marriage. This decision was made for the health of the family. She will not be commenting at this time, and asks that the family be given their privacy during this difficult time," the statement said.
In response, Pitt said: "I am very saddened by this, but what matters most now is the well-being of our kids. I kindly ask the press to give them the space they deserve during this challenging time."
In 2021, Pitt lost all visitation rights with his kids due to a violation of "his ethical obligations," as per a ruling by Judge John Ouderkirk who oversaw the case at the time.
The pair share six children together - Shiloh, Pax, Zahara, Maddox, Vivienne, and Knox.
An official release date for Maria has not yet been announced by Netflix, but it will be available to watch on the streaming platform in the upcoming months.
