Monica Bellucci, in court. The 61-year-old actress is summoned as a witness in a dispute over the copyright of a documentary in which she plays María Callas, AFP learned during a hearing held on Monday in Lyon.
The Italian actress was summoned before the Lyon criminal court at the request of filmmaker Tom Volf, director of María Callas: letters and memoriesbut the examination of the file was postponed until February 9.
The American artist accuses the production company Pictures of having broadcast “an unfinished version” of the documentary without his consent and of not having respected his right to the “final cut”, that is, his right to review the final version of the work.
“Not only did the production not ask the director for authorization, but it was perfectly informed that he was opposed to the exploitation of this version (…), we have proof of this,” explains his lawyer Paul Le Fèvre.
Tom Volf believes that Monica Belluci could inform the jury about the conditions of the film’s release, in particular about the fact that she was informed of the conflict between director and producer.
Questioned by AFP on the sidelines of the hearing, the production company’s defense did not want to comment on the case.
A first successful documentary
Director and filmmaker, Tom Volf became passionate about the Greek singer’s journey, to which he dedicated his first successful documentary, titled Maria of Callaslaunched in 2017.
He is the author of a biography of the diva, María Callas: letters and memoriespublished in 2019 by Albin Michel, which served as the basis for a play in which Monica Bellucci played the singer.
This work later gave rise to a documentary film project that contains excerpts from the work. It is this project that confronts the director and the producer. The film was presented in 2023 in Rome, Greece, Spain and New York, before its French premiere in Lyon on October 14, 2024.
Source: BFM TV
