There's Still Tomorrow [2023]

 There’s Still Tomorrow is centred on toxic patriarchy, machismo and domestic violence, which’ve been embedded into Italian society across class divides. It’s set in post-WW2 working-class Rome, amidst an atmosphere of scarcity, impoverishment and post-War opportunism. And it’s shot in B/W with neorealism weaved into its aesthetic palette, along with generous splashes of melodrama and humour. One could therefore anticipate a courageous film, for its feminist inquiries, period setting and formal boldness; however, none could’ve guessed that it’d become a smash hit and one of the highest grossers in the history of Italian cinema! The directorial debut of Paola Cortellesi – a popular actress and comedian who, after dabbling in screenwriting in the last few years, finally took the plunge into filmmaking hoping to bring her grandmothers’ stories from the 1940s into life – struck a rare emotional chord, and even sparked dialogues and debates aside from its massive box-office success. The murder of 22-year-old Giulia Cecchettin by her ex-boyfriend, which happened just after its release and sparked a nation-wide outrage, aided its resonance, along with its jaunty and quirky tone that rounded the edges, and the hopeful note of empowerment and liberation that it ended with. Cortellesi played the role of its beleaguered but resilient heroine Delia, a middle-aged woman who’s physically abused by her boorish husband (Valerio Mastandrea) – the movie, in fact, began with an unforeseeable slap –, patronized by her uncouth father-in-law, ignored by her children, and compelled to take multiple odd-jobs while also managing domestic responsibilities. The year, incidentally, is 1946, when voting rights in Italy were extended to women for the first time while holding a referendum to transform the country from monarchy into a republic.

p.s. Watched it at the 2024 Bangalore International Film Festival (BIFFES)

Director: Paola Cortellesi

Genre: Black Comedy/Marital Drama/Family Drama/Social Satire

Language: Italian

Country: Italy