The Paris Theater in New York City has announced the special retrospective series “Divas & Despots: Ten Portraits by Pablo Larraín,” a ten-film journey through the acclaimed Chilean director's decorated career. Taking place January 1–6, 2025, the series commemorates the release of Maria, Larraín’s psychological portrait of the legendary soprano Maria Callas, which opens in select theaters on November 27 and streams on Netflix beginning December 11.
Maria, along with Angelina Jolie’s portrayal of one of the 20th century’s most iconic performers, uncovers new dimensions of the themes that have defined Larraín’s body of work. Larraín immediately captured international attention with his provocative, politically-charged films that explored the turbulent history of his home country, particularly under the reign of dictator Augusto Pinochet. As he expanded his reach further across the world, the idea of performance, existing in the public sphere, and the melding of the personal and political continued to permeate his work, whether his characters were ordinary citizens or towering figures on the world stage.
Those themes are central to his breakout films—a trio of stories grappling with life under Pinochet's rule. Tony Manero (2008) (screening in 35mm) follows a middle-aged criminal who hatches a plan for fame and fortune via his obsession with impersonating John Travolta’s character from Saturday Night Fever. Post Mortem (2010) (also in 35mm) centers on a mild-mannered state employee who becomes embroiled in the intrigue of his neighbor’s left-wing activist group.
The Academy Award-nominated No (2013) recreates the dynamic efforts of an advertising executive (played by Gael García Bernal) to launch an eye-catching commercial campaign urging Chile to vote Pinochet out of office. The memory of Chile’s politically tumultuous history still remains a fascination for Larraín to this day, and he consistently finds creative methods to depict it: in his satirical El Conde (2023), he boldly reimagines the dictator as a murderous vampire.
In recent years, Larraín has continued to deliver vibrant stories from Chile, such as Ema (2019) —a reggaeton-infused dance drama—and The Club (2015), a biting dark comedy about the Catholic Church. But perhaps his most famous accomplishment is his “Great Woman” trilogy exploring the lives of monumentally influential figures: Jackie (2016) crafted a complex portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis amidst the aftermath of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, while Spencer (2021) imagines a volatile Christmas weekend between Princess Diana and the royal family she’d soon escape. And now, Maria (2024) witnesses the legendary soprano in her final days as the diva reckons with her identity and life.
“Divas & Despots: Ten Portraits by Pablo Larraín,” offers a rare opportunity to experience the full breadth of Pablo Larraín’s work, with ten unforgettable films that place the filmmaker squarely in the spotlight himself as one of contemporary cinema’s most daring and gifted artists.
