Diva films belonged to the dominating genres of 1910s Italian silent cinema, along with slapstick comedies, historical epics and wild fights. They portrayed fiercely passionate characters and starred charismatic actresses, usually Lyda Borrelli, Francesca Bertini or Pina Menichelli. These three famous divas mastered a highly performative, physically complex and flamboyantly gestic style of acting that never strived for plausibility, imitation or pantomime. In five diva films, we will watch the powerful expressiveness and functional adaptability of their acting as well as the unparalleled variability of this somewhat forgotten cinematic tradition.
