Dalida

The central events occur in the late 1960s, beginning with a pivotal 1967 suicide attempt and the Sanremo Music Festival year. The era’s glamorous yet pressurized showbiz environment frames Dalida’s romances, career moves, and emotional lows.

The story unfolds across key locations in Dalida’s life: she grows up in Cairo, is discovered and rises to fame in Paris, and later returns to perform and be feted in Egypt. The film uses these places to mirror her personal journey from outsider to global star. Each location anchors a chapter of her public persona and private struggles.

🎤 Fame

Fame drives Dalida’s ascent from a shy music lover to a global icon, while also sharpening the public gaze on her personal life. The film shows how career ambitions, spotlight, and public expectations shape her choices and self-image. It reveals the cost of stardom when private turmoil collides with public adulation.

💘 Love & Relationships

Dalida’s loves—marriage to Morisse, affairs with Sobieski and Tenco, and later partnerships—are a through line of passion and pain. The relationships pull her in different directions, alternately lifting her career and destabilizing her emotionally. The film portrays how love, betrayal, and motherhood decisions intertwine with fame.

🌧️ Mental Health

The narrative traces Dalida’s mental health struggles, including bulimia and periods of isolation. The emotional toll of fame, heartbreak, and tragedy culminates in a suicide attempt and, ultimately, Dalida’s own death. The movie presents a portrait of a brilliant performer haunted by inner demons.

📰 Media & Public Scrutiny

Dalida’s life is filtered through the media storm and public gaze, including the influence of a controversial partner who embodies the era’s sensationalism. The film shows how media attention shapes perception, personal safety, and decision-making. It also depicts how the press and fame can manipulate a vulnerable artist’s path.