Maria Falconetti was a French actress born on February 21, 1892, in Paris. She is best known for her role as Joan of Arc in the silent film "The Passion of Joan of Arc" (1928), directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer. Her performance is widely regarded as one of the greatest in film history, showcasing her emotional depth and expressive face. Falconetti's career was relatively short, as she appeared in only a few films before retiring from acting in the early 1930s. After her retirement, she lived in relative obscurity until her death on December 6, 1946, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.