The War of the Volcanoes

A juicy, gossipy chronicle of a real-life cinematic rivalry, full of archival glamour and tabloid intrigue.

Directed by

Francesco Patierno

Genres

Documentary

Starring

Ingrid Bergman, Roberto Rossellini, Anna Magnani

Overview

In 1948, a fan letter arrived for director Roberto Rossellini from Ingrid Bergman, one of Hollywood’s biggest stars; after a meeting in New York, Rossellini invited Bergman to Italy to work on a project. Meanwhile, Anna Magnani, one of Italy’s biggest stars and Rossellini’s longtime lover, was furious. When the Rossellini/Bergman project was announced as a tale set on Stromboli, one of the volcanic Aeolian Islands, Magnani quickly set up her own Aeolian project, financed by Hollywood, to be called Volcano. Italy’s tabloids simply went wild: the prospect of these two great divas battling it out with rival productions was breathlessly followed, especially as it became clear that the Rossellini/Bergman relationship was more than professional. Francesco Patierno has created an engrossing, revealing and highly entertaining chronicle of this cinematic battle royal.

How it feels

Satirical, light, romantic and cynical. Brisk and needs your attention.

About

Celebrity, obsession, betrayal, ambition

Content

Mild sexual content and language. No violence or gore.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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