Angelina Jolie’s Heartwarming Gesture at Venice Film Festival
During the Venice Film Festival, Angelina Jolie made headlines with a touching moment ahead of the world premiere of Pablo Larraín’s Maria. Jolie, who stars as the renowned opera singer Maria Callas in the biopic, paused her red carpet duties to meet with Pasqualino Esposito, an Italian writer and festival regular known for his condition of osteogenesis imperfecta, or “brittle bone disease.”
Esposito, who has been attending the festival in recent years, had the opportunity to converse with Jolie despite his challenging condition. He praised Jolie as “a person with a very big heart,” reflecting her well-known reputation for humanitarian work and her role as a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Before entering Sala Grande for the world premiere of Maria, Angelina Jolie stopped to greet a bed-ridden fan, the Italian writer Pasqualino Esposito. He suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disorder also known as “brittle bone disease.” Esposito has become a festival… pic.twitter.com/Sk6dtXziMr
— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) August 29, 2024
Jolie’s encounter with Esposito was a highlight of the evening, drawing admiration from fans and photographers alike. Following this heartwarming moment, Jolie attended the premiere of Maria in the Sala Grande. The film, based on the life of Maria Callas during her final days in 1970s Paris, received an emotional response from the audience, culminating in an eight-minute standing ovation that brought Jolie to tears.
In a press conference, Jolie shared her personal connection to Callas, emphasizing the opera singer’s vulnerability and emotional openness, traits she feels she shares with the legendary artist.
