Before Hollywood's studio system began manufacturing film stars, Europe was ruled by divas, theatrical actresses who achieved massive acclaim and critical prestige, turning them into true national icons of popular adoration. Pietro Marcello revives the figure of Eleonora Duse, a myth in Italy at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, to explore, from the actress's mature stage, the rise of fascism in her country. A subject the filmmaker had already addressed in Martin Eden (2019), a more balanced and brilliant film in its revision of cinematic historical drama. Marcello understands well that the fascination with divas, also as people, lies in their contradictions and in how they embrace life's most tempestuous dimension.