Tom Volf
FR · EN
No. 18 MMXVIII Film

Maria by Callas

In 2013, Tom Volf attended a performance at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. It was his first evening at the opera. When he returned, he looked for other interpretations on the internet; Maria Callas appeared. The shock was such that he spent the night…

No. 18 — MMXVIII Maria by Callas
01 / The film
Affiche officielle

In 2013, Tom Volf attended a performance at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. It was his first evening at the opera. When he returned, he looked for other interpretations on the internet; Maria Callas appeared. The shock was such that he spent the night listening to her repertoire. Four years of quest will ensue, across the world, to find those who knew her – relatives, collaborators, friends – and exhume archives kept for decades: personal photos, letters, super-8, recordings never previously released.

From this new material is born Maria by Callas, an intimate portrait constructed without the voice of an external author: it is Callas herself who tells her life story, through her own words, her letters, her interviews. Joyce DiDonato and Fanny Ardant lend their voices to this narration. Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, the film was released in more than 50 countries and went through 16 international festivals, hailed by the press as the revelation of a human Callas, far from the legend sculpted by the magazines.

Illuminating, at times enthralling effect.
The New York Times
02 / Iconography

In pictures

03 / Note of intent

Notes of intention

Genesis of the project“I knew nothing about opera but this opera made me want to hear more. When I got home, I surfed the internet, looking for other Donizetti interpretations and La Callas came out. The shock was so violent that I spent the night listening to his entire repertoire. I read almost everything that had been written about her and, very quickly, I met the people who had known her. My first intuition was to give voice again and put La Callas at the center of the story of her life, whose legend is riddled with untruths. She left the image of a capricious diva. This is ridiculous. Her impetuous temperament often underlines the requirement and perfection of precise and rigorous work. »

Impressive material“In each encounter, it was the human element that prevailed, each one revealed to me a moment, a memory and very often emotion arose. I assume the subjective truth side, the story, the evocation. I remember Robert Sutherland telling me about a rehearsal with her, the emotion was so tangible, so vibrant that I could feel how much aura this woman had, and how she continued to radiate. At each meeting, most brought out personal photos, letters and took out personal photos, letters from Maria, super-8 films taken during an afternoon with friends, recordings... I looked at all this after a year and a half and I realized that the material was new and precious. In most of the documents, Maria was narrating herself. »

A real headache“With all this material, I wanted to favor film because it captures the light best. Then a colossal digitization and restoration work was undertaken to obtain high definition quality. After working on the original element, I sought harmony to always highlight the chosen archive. Colorization is also part of this desire to find the original supports, as we look at the color photos of these evenings. Exquisite work has been carried out to accurately reproduce the original colors of the archive, and to make the image more intimate and closer for the viewer. »

Festivals & selections

The film was presented in numerous festivals around the world: Rome, Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, Barcelona, Vilnius, Adelaide, Chicago, as well as:

Technical details & distribution

Watch on VOD : Apple TV · Amazon Prime Video · Roku Channel · Fandango at Home

Official website : sonyclassics.com/mariabycallas

Additional official selections

Awards & distinctions

In 2018, Maria by Callas is officially designated by UniFrance as “ the most-watched French film abroad » of the year.

04 / Press reviews

They've talked about it

An excellent introduction to Callas’s artistry.
The New York Times · Ben Kenigsberg, November 1, 2018
To see Callas perform is to understand the power she held.
Vogue · Alessandra Codinha, October 2, 2018
An enchanting story.
Vanity Fair
Tom Volf’s Maria by Callas is the first film to tell the life story of the legendary Greek/American opera singer completely in her own words.
Sony Pictures Classics
Director and author Tom Volf has created a film that is as captivating as it is moving.
CNews
Tom Volf creates a sublime portrait.
France Inter
Tom Volf did not want to present his reading of the extraordinary destiny of the singer but preferred to step aside, yielding the floor to her. The title Maria by Callas doesn't lie.
La Croix
A luxurious compilation to which its author puts his little trademark.
L'Obs · Xavier Leherpeur
She is a diva who tells her story through rare archives, unpublished letters... her own words.
ELLE · Thomas Jean, December 8, 2017
A unique approach to the life of the Callas.
Le Parisien · Pierre Vavasseur, December 13, 2017
Of the almost two hours that Maria by Callas lasts, almost half of the film is made up of documents never before seen or heard.
Le Film Français · Sarah Drouhaud, November 24, 2017
Rich in unpublished archives, the film retraces the extraordinary destiny of the singer.
Marianne · Olivier De Bruyn, December 15, 2017
Montage of exceptional and little-seen archives which depict public life, applauded life, life thrown out to pasture, life locked into an exceptional duty.
L'Express · Eric Libiot, “Le Choix Ciné”
Maria by Callas achieves the feat of dealing head-on with the woman, Sophia Cecelia Kalos, and the artist, La Callas.
Franceinfo Culture · Jacky Bornet
Revealing the hidden face of a goddess whose divine voice ultimately came from her deep humanity.
L'Humanité · Stéphane Aubouard
By magic, we are caught up.
La Voix du Nord · Philippe Lagouche
A documentary that gives voice to the diva.
Sud Ouest (4/5)
A must for fans and for those who wish to discover it.
Studio Ciné Live · Stéphanie Belpêche (4/5)
A sensitive documentary.
Le Figaro · Ariane Bavelier (4/5)
The young director manages to paint an intimate and moving portrait of a global icon.
Paris Match
05 / Moving images

Recordings & portraits

Maria by Callas (trailer)
Maria Callas: the exceptional doc
Maria by Callas: director Q&A