Valeria Bruni Tedeschi: 'With the rise of the far right, artists feel crushed'

Valeria Bruni Tedeschi at the Rome International Film Festival, October 17, 2025. ANDREA STACCIOLI/GETTY IMAGES

Here she is: Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, with her azure gaze, radiant smile and whimsical manner. Not a single cloud on the horizon. The moment she enters the Parisian café where she scheduled the meeting, time seems to stand still: service, conversations even orders. The effect of the Franco-Italian actress recalls the aura that once surrounded Eleonora Duse (1858-1924). In this interview, the 61-year-old actress and filmmaker pays tribute to this iconic figure of Italian theater, whom she portrays in Pietro Marcello's moving film, Eleonora Duse, released in cinemas on January 14.

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'Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi did not stop to analyze the power games that were playing out in her school'

You seem out of breath. Where are you coming from?