‘Duse’ Star Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Director Pietro Marcello on Bringing Italy’s Legendary Stage Actress to Screen: ‘She Went Her Own Way Freely’

For Italian auteur Pietro Marcello, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi was the only actress who could play Eleonora Duse in his biopic of the legendary stage diva, which just launched in competition at the Venice Film Festival.

In “Duse,” Marcello — whose 2019 film “Martin Eden” made a splash on the international arthouse scene — looks at the latter part of the icon’s life, when at 60, she is forced by financial issues to come out of retirement and return to the stage.

Duse, who lived between 1858 and 1924, was considered by many the greatest actress of her time. She performed in many countries, most notably in plays by Gabriele D’Annunzio, her one-time lover who wrote four works specifically for her, and Henrik Ibsen.

Below, Bruni Tedeschi and Marcello speak to Variety about why Duse’s free spirit and non-conventional feminism, coupled with her talent, are so relevant today.

Pietro, simply put: what drew you to Eleonora Duse?…