Scarlet Diva


Scarlet Diva is a 2000 Italian film by actress and first-time director and screenwriter Asia Argento.

Plot summary

Scarlet Diva is a semi-autobiographical film about the Italian actress and director Asia Argento's life as an actress. A self-destructive streak in Anna Battista pulls her into drugs, sex and other excesses. To combat this descent, she attempts to fulfill her creative side by becoming a film director. Battista's attempts to realize her talent is thwarted however by her desires and the uncaring responses of those around her. As part of her plans to become a director and bring her story to the screen, Battista travels to Los Angeles but only meets a shady film producer. She falls in love with an uncaring Australian rock and roll star, then finds out she is pregnant by him. But her life is still in disarray as she uses drugs to help herself feel better.

Cast

Scarlet Diva was shot entirely on digital video, making it among the earliest feature films to be created with this technology.

Harvey Weinstein reenactment scene

In October 2017, Argento revealed that the scene in which the producer tries to assault the main character is based on harassment of her involving sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein, except "In the movie I ran away" according to Argento.

Reception and legacy

The film tied with two other films to win the Brooklyn Film Festival Award for Best New Director.
A videocassette of the film can be seen on a shelf behind the counter in a video rental store in Dario Argento's film Do You Like Hitchcock?