Maria

In 1977, Maria Callas lives in a Paris apartment with her butler Ferruccio and housekeeper Bruna, trying to sing again after years of declining health. She relies on medications, especially Mandrax, despite increasing side effects, while Ferruccio urges her to see a doctor and get proper treatment.

A television crew arrives to interview Maria, led by a young filmmaker named Mandrax. It becomes clear the crew is a hallucination caused by her medication, with Ferruccio and Bruna unable to see them.

Through the drug-induced visions, Maria recalls her romance with Aristotle Onassis, the moment she fell in love and left her husband Giovanni Battista Meneghini. The relationship is marked by public scrutiny and its emotional cost.

She initially declined Onassis’s advances in 1957, but quickly fell in love and left her husband Meneghini. The relationship is overshadowed by press scrutiny and social expectations that accompany their affair.

Though separated by public scrutiny, Maria secretly sees Onassis on his deathbed and admits that she loved him. The moment underscores the depth of her attachment despite the consequences.

During World War II in Italy, a teenage Maria is forced by her mother to sing for Italian and German officers in exchange for money. The memory reveals the coercive pressures she faced and foreshadows the costs of fame.

Maria meets her older sister Yakinthi and the sisters reconcile over how their mother treated them. The moment grounds her amid the drug haze and shifting memories.

In her first appointment, Maria lies about her drug usage to Dr. Fontainebleau. The doctor begins to uncover the truth but is hindered by her obfuscation.

During the second appointment, Fontainebleau reveals that her health has worsened after reviewing medical reports Ferruccio provided, suggesting she may no longer be able to sing. The revelation deepens the sense of irreversible decline.

Maria attends a final session with conductor Jeffrey Tate and brings an audio recorder to capture her voice. The recording makes clear that her singing has not recovered to her former heights.

A Le Figaro journalist spies on the session and rudely questions her about her career; Ferruccio shoves him away, defending Maria.

Maria expresses gratitude to Ferruccio and Bruna for their support. The next morning she sings Vissi d'arte with the windows open, drawing Parisians on the street who listen, while Onassis and Mandrax silently listen from inside before vanishing.

Ferruccio and Bruna return from groceries to find Maria dead on the floor. He calls Dr. Fontainebleau and authorities arrive to address the situation.