Paul Dalio
DirectorComposer
United States
Paul Dalio is an American director and composer best known for writing and directing Touched with Fire, a drama about two poets with bipolar disorder who meet in a psychiatric hospital. Dalio also composed and edited the film, which drew in part on his own experience of living with bipolar disorder. [1]
Career and work
Dalio studied screenwriting and filmmaking at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where filmmaker Spike Lee became a mentor. Lee later served as an executive producer on Dalio’s feature debut, Touched with Fire. [1]
Dalio wrote, directed, composed the score for, and co-edited Touched with Fire, which premiered at SXSW in 2015 and was released theatrically in 2016. The film stars Katie Holmes and Luke Kirby as two poets with bipolar disorder who meet in a psychiatric hospital. [1]
Dalio is currently developing additional film and television projects through Moonstruck Productions, including the feature film Amphibia and the series Revelation and Shaman. [7]
What has been publicly discussed
Sources and other resourcesExpand to view the sources used in this profile and resources to learn more.
Sources used for this profile
The following sources contain information that supports the claims made on this page.
Paul Dalio — Official biography Professional biography and information about Touched with Fire.
profile or biographyJohns Hopkins Medicine, 2016 Covers diagnosis, hospitalization, stability, and the origins of Touched with Fire.
article or webpageRogerEbert.com interview Covers identity, diagnosis, treatment fears, and creativity.
interview
View all 7 sources
MDedge interview Detailed account of hospitalization, psychosis, depression, suicidality, treatment, routines, and stability.
interviewMandatory interview Covers medication and lithium.
interviewScottish Mental Health Arts Festival interview Covers stigma, creativity, identity, and the purpose of Touched with Fire.
interviewPaul Dalioarticle or webpage
Learn more
Recommended books and other resources about Paul Dalio and their experiences.
- “Bipolar Disorder: Beyond the Label” — NAMI, 2026Article
Discussion with Dalio and others about bipolar disorder, work, identity, and stigma.
- “Touched with Fire” — Charlie Rose, 2016Article
Conversation with Dalio, Luke Kirby, and Kay Redfield Jamison.
- International Bipolar Foundation — Paul Dalio and Kay JamisonArticle
Discussion of mania, creativity, and the making of Touched with Fire.