Otello (1986 film)

Otello is a 1986 film based on the Giuseppe Verdi opera of the same name, which was itself based on the Shakespearean play Othello. The film was directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starred Plcido Domingo in the title role, Katia Ricciarelli as Desdemona and Justino Daz as Iago. For the movies soundtrack, Lorin Maazel conducted the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro alla Scala. The film premiered in West Germany on August 28, 1986 and received a U.S. theatrical release on September 12, 1986. It was nominated for a Bafta Award and a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.

Menachem Golan and Yoram Globus of Cannon Films worked out a deal with popular operatic tenor Plcido Domingo to finance him in a movie version of an opera. They wanted the singer to appear in an adaptation of Verdis Il trovatore. Domingo, however, suggested instead that they film Otello, his signature role. While working with Italian director Franco Zeffirelli on a stage production of Tosca at the Metropolitan Opera, Domingo discussed the possibility of collaborating again on another opera movie. They had previously made television versions of Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci together, as well as a theatrically released movie of Verdis La Traviata. Zeffirelli agreed to direct Domingo in Otello.Shooting was scheduled to begin in 1985 at Heraklion, Crete. Soon before the filming was to start, Mexico City was devastated by a massive earthquake. Domingo cancelled all his engagements in order to help with rescue efforts. Once the project came close to being scrapped, Domingo agreed to appear in Crete for the filming. Zeffirelli later recalled that the tenor used his hard work on Otello to help forget the traumatic sights in Mexico of the injured and dead which included some of his family members. ........

Source: Wikipedia