THE LAST DIVA

A fascinating documentary made for television, on the life and career of silent screen star Francesca Bertini, now a sprightly 90 years of age. We get an intriguing look into the early days of Italian cinema, with Bertini positively luminous in sequences shot around the same time as Griffith in Hollywood was mounting "Intolerance".

Bertini emerges today as an indomitable old professional, the Lillian Gish of Italy; she was still appearing before the movie cameras as recently as Bertolucci's"1900"