The 2002 biographical film about painter Frida Kahlo starring Salma Hayek is Frida.
Directed by Julie Taymor, Frida follows Kahlo’s life, art, relationships, and chronic health struggles. The story begins with her devastating 1925 bus accident, which caused lifelong pain and helped lead her toward painting during recovery. Alfred Molina plays muralist Diego Rivera, Kahlo’s husband and one of the central figures in her life.
The film was adapted from Hayden Herrera’s biography Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo. Its visual style incorporates Kahlo’s paintings, sometimes dissolving from an actual artwork into a live-action scene. This makes the film easy to distinguish from other artist biopics such as Basquiat or Pollock.
Frida premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2002. It received six Academy Award nominations and won for Best Makeup and Best Original Score. Hayek was nominated for Best Actress, marking one of the most prominent performances of her career.