Whether you’re an opera neophyte or a well-Callased veteran, this profile of the original diva is a huge travel trunk of riches.

In a companion to his spectacularly expensive coffee-table book, new filmmaker Tom Volf weaves together bits of the irreplaceable singer’s life and art through footage and stills from myriad sources—all shined to a lustrous digital sheen—with narration taken from her letters and journals. These are mostly read by Fanny Ardant, although Maria’s own voice is heard in numerous interviews and in riotous press conferences that rival those of the Beatles or JFK. The diaristic approach pits her serene self-image, complete with shape-shifting class accents, against the reality of her as a mercurial handful. Most crucially, there are complete performances of her key arias.