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.
Credits
The War of the Volcanoes Cast
| Name |
Character |
|
Anna Magnani
She was 104, 65 years old when she died
|
as Herself (Archive footage) |
|
Ingrid Bergman
She was 97, 67 years old when she died
|
as Herself (Archive footage) |
|
Roberto Rossellini
He was 106, 71 years old when he died
|
as Himself (Archive footage) |
The War of the Volcanoes Crew
