Portraits of Iconic Divas: ‘Maria Callas, Monica Bellucci: An Encounter’ and a Biographical Documentary on Béatrice Dalle at the 18th Beldocs

The upcoming Beldocs Festival, taking place from May 21 to 27 in Belgrade, presents two regional premieres that shed light on the lives of Béatrice Dalle and Maria Callas through intimate journeys, letters, and confessions — seen through the eyes of renowned actress Monica Bellucci.

The film The Passion According to Béatrice (La Passion Selon Béatrice), directed by renowned Belgian filmmaker Fabrice du Welz, takes us on an emotional and poetic journey through Italy, where the actress seeks to grasp the essence of Pier Paolo Pasolini’s creativity — one of the people who most inspired her in life. Shot in black and white with an authentic approach, the film is a kind of confession of a woman who has never compromised and who bares her soul in front of the camera, embarking on a spiritual quest for herself through the figure of the artist she adores. The film was screened at the Locarno Film Festival and received acclaim from both critics and audiences.

Maria Callas, Monica Bellucci: An Encounter, directed by Yannis Dimolitsas and Tom Volf, presents a moving dialogue between two artists — the legendary opera diva and the film star. Through letters, memoirs, and rare archival footage, Bellucci interprets Callas’s story on stage, conveying fragments of her glamorous yet tragic life. From a modest childhood in New York to global fame, with all its love, loss, and solitude, the film explores the power of art as a space where pain is transformed into beauty. This biographical story weaves together two different eras: the rise of Maria Callas and the present day, through which her legacy continues to resonate.
Tickets for the screenings are available online.