“You didn’t give me the time”, “Blood for blood” or even “We’re scared”, you necessarily know the flagship titles of David Hallyday’s career. But do you really know the life of their author? If there is one family of which we think we know all the details, it is the Hallydays. Yet David had never really revealed himself. It’s now done thanks to the documentary, soberly titled “David Hallyday”, broadcast this Monday, April 3 at 8:55 p.m. on CANAL+ DOCS, and available on myCANAL.
Followed for almost a year and a half by his friend Paul Belmondo, David Hallyday spoke frankly about his childhood, his beginnings in music, his relationship with his parents and his passion for motor racing. A subject that he obviously shares with the co-producer of the documentary. “It’s motorsport that made us know each other,” said Paul Belmondo to 20 minutes. “Even though our fathers were friends, David was often in the United States with his mother, we only knew each other as adults”.
“We must also talk about the failures of life”
After having collected the confidences of his father in “Belmondo by Belmondo” in 2016, the former racing driver tells this time the life of a close friend. Difficult to remain neutral in these situations. “It’s always very difficult to do a subject on a loved one” told us Paul Belmondo. “The danger is to only give praise. We must also talk about the failures of life. All is still not rosy”.
David Hallyday has indeed confided with great honesty on certain automobile failures, on his divorce with Estelle Lefébure and of course his relationship with Johnny Hallyday, the icon of French song having perhaps reproduced his own paternal pattern in not being the most present of fathers. The opportunity to realize the importance of his father-in-law, producer Tony Scotti, in the launch of David’s career.
Sylvie Vartan, Pascal Obispo and Laura Smet agreed to testify
The American producer engages at length in the documentary, like many relatives of David: his mother Sylvie Vartan, his friend Pascal Obispo or his sister Laura Smet. “Laura speaks with a lot of frankness, it’s very touching, very direct” warns Paul Belmondo. “She tells us how she lived her youth, these are not things we are used to hearing”.
A documentary that fans of David Hallyday must watch to remember the unknown aspects of the singer, we think in particular of his Californian rocker period. But all other viewers will be able to discover the intimate life and family reality of a dynasty that marked French culture.