Paola Cortelli's directorial debut, the film “C'è ancora domani”(2023) [There is Still Tomorrow], has been met with high praise from both critics and audiences alike. The film addresses a number of pertinent issues pertaining to Italian society, as well as to other societies and countries where disparities between gender roles were and are still evident. These include the role of women in the post-war period, women's right to vote, the discrepancy in educational opportunities between girls and boys, economic disparities across social classes, the transmission of gender roles across generations, the emancipation of women, and the impact of societal transformations.

The film's narrative follows the protagonist, Delia, a mother of three who finds herself constrained by the limitations of a patriarchal society. The film delves into the protagonist's challenges with domestic violence, her journey towards self-emancipation, and her aspirations for her daughter's future. It portrays her participation in the historic election of June 2, 1946, where women were granted the right to vote, and her desire for her daughter to receive a better education, to occupy an equal role within the couple, and to achieve financial independence.

The film illuminates the oppressive nature of patriarchal society, both within the private sphere of the home and in the public domain. Delia's experiences exemplify the challenges women face in asserting their rights, whether at home or in public. However, the film also portrays the struggles of other women from diverse societal backgrounds. It demonstrates that patriarchal oppression is not exclusive to the lower class but is also prevalent in upper echelons of society.

The following pages will examine how Cortellesi's film illuminates the silenced figure of the woman, drawing parallels with the perspectives presented in Michela Murgia's Ave Mary. E la chiesa inventò la donna (2011) [Hail Mary. And the Church Invented the Woman] and Stai zitta e altre nove frasi che non vogliamo più sentire (2021) [Keep quiet and nine other phrases that we do not want to hear anymore]. A close study of Delia's character and her acts of defiance will reveal the film's powerful commentary on the ongoing struggle for women's voices to be heard and valued.

Language as a tool of oppression

Throughout the film, the repetitive phrase that women are subjected to from their husbands is either "Sta' zitta" [Keep quiet] or "Taci" [Shut up], which suggests that they are not permitted to express their thoughts, that their thoughts are insignificant, that they have no voice either at home or outside the domain of the house, and that they are expected to behave like silent figures within society, following the rules of patriarchy. The final scene of the film, which depicts thousands of women voting, represents the antithesis of silence: it portrays women exercising their democratic right to express their political views, opinions, and voices.

The history of the silenced woman is long and complex, shaped by a sophisticated and persistent process that has been largely perpetuated by men, but partially accepted by women as well. This process has served to highlight the perceived lower role of women in society compared to men. It is therefore a pertinent question to ask how such a figure could have been so widely disseminated and, to some extent, even acknowledged and accepted.

In the film, Delia's character represents this silenced figure, struggling against the constraints of a patriarchal society that seeks to diminish her voice and agency. Cortellesi employs an exceptional cinematic technique in the scenes depicting domestic violence. Rather than merely portraying the beating, she blends dramatic and comedic elements, thereby challenging traditional representations of this subject matter. To illustrate, when the husband initiates the act of domestic violence against Delia, the two engage in a choreographic sequence set to the rhythm of the blows.

The neighbors and Delia's own family are aware of the beating, yet no one intervenes to stop it. On a few occasions, the daughter mentions it to the mother, but Delia simply dismisses her concerns, likely to prevent her daughter from becoming distressed. Delia's experience is not merely her own, but rather reflects the broader experiences of women both in the post-war period in Italy and in the present. However, the question remains: why and how has the pervasiveness of the silenced figure of women become so prevalent, and in some instances, seemingly unchallenged?

Novelist and playwright Michela Murgia employs a theological and historical approach to explore the marginalized figure of the woman, situating her within the context of Mary, the mother of Jesus. In her noteworthy publication, Ave Mary. E la Chiesa inventò la donna (2011) [Hail Mary. And the Church Invented the Woman], the author examines the ways in which the Catholic Church has historically constructed an image of Mary that emphasizes modesty and submission, thereby establishing an ideal for women. Murgia posits that Maria represents the archetypal afflicted and functional figure, destined to become the definitive model for womanhood for nearly two millennia (2011: 33).

The figure of Mary has been represented as obedient, silent, afflicted, in sorrow, and in pain, and as the example of the caregiver. This portrayal has contributed to the silencing of women's voices, rendering them almost invisible and limiting their roles in society. Such an image of the silenced woman is reflected in Cortellesi's film, where societal expectations seek to silence the protagonist and confine her to a submissive role.

Language and silencing

The submissive and silenced role of the woman has been reinforced through the use of language. The repetitive phrases used to silence Delia and other women in the film, "Sta' zitta" [Keep quiet] and "Taci" [Shout up], are employed by the men to silence women. As Murgia notes in her 2021 book Stai Zitta e altre nove frasi che non vogliamo più sentire [Keep quiet and nine other phrases that we do not want to hear anymore], these phrases serve as instruments of oppression, perpetuating gender inequality and denying women the opportunity to speak and be heard.

These silencing linguistic mechanisms are deeply entrenched in our society and pervade conversational techniques, manifesting in everyday interactions and even in institutional practices. Such phrases serve to reinforce the subordinate status of women and are not merely dismissive of women's voices, as if they were not worthy of being heard. Rather, they function as tools of oppression, reminding women of their supposed "place" within the family and society. This place is located at the periphery, never at the center, almost invisible and subjugated.

Delia's gradual empowerment

The protagonist's response to the silencing acts perpetrated against her is gradual but discernible throughout the film. It demonstrates her capacity for decision-making, her agency, and even her ability to speak. She makes decisions that prioritize her daughter's well-being, who was supposed to get married to a young man who, despite initially appearing agreeable, ultimately demonstrates a pattern of oppressive behavior towards women. This is exemplified in a powerful scene in which the two young lovers exchange a few romantic comments and he inquires about Marcella's use of makeup. In response, Marcella states that she applied makeup to go to work and to display her beauty to him.

In return, he asserts that she will no longer be required to work and that she will not apply makeup anymore since she belongs to him. The mother overhears their exchange and exhibits visible distress, perceiving a cyclical pattern of subjugation and control that the daughter might be in danger of entering, as she discerns parallels to her own experiences of subordination. This includes economic dependence, which could be classified as a form of oppression in itself, possession, and possibly abuse.

As the film progresses, Delia begins to demonstrate a series of minor acts of defiance. In particular, she demonstrates agency in avoiding that Marcella might risk following her path, which entails sabotaging the daughter's marriage. As the father's primary objective is for his daughter to marry the young boy, a decision driven by the desire for wealth and the family's reliance on the bar as a source of income, Delia resorts to put the bar in fire, a drastic measure that jeopardizes the financial stability of the young boy's family.

As a result, the family's assets are depleted, and while the young boy's wealth may have been a potential advantage in terms of status and security, it is no longer a viable option for the father, who now perceives no economic benefits in allowing his daughter to marry the young boy. Ultimately, this realization prompts the father to cancel the wedding. Despite the father's role in determining his daughter's future - he is the one who initially agrees to the marriage and sets it in motion, it is Delia who ultimately alters the course of her daughter's future. She does so by first sabotaging her daughter's marriage and secondly saving some money so that her daughter can attend school and break the educational divide that exists between boys and girls.

Voting as empowerment

For Delia, the pinnacle of personal empowerment is her participation in the election on June 2nd, 1946. However, in the film, she is shown going to vote on the following day, on Sunday, June 3rd. For Delia, this represents a profound act of personal empowerment, despite the opposition of her husband who, upon discovering her intention to vote, he attempts to prevent her from going to vote by persistently monitoring her movements among the crowd. Such an act of empowerment demonstrates Delia's agency and her voice in opposition to her husband's, while also representing her transition into a public sphere that had long excluded her and other women. In doing so, she asserts her rights, her voice, her opinions, and her will. This act of empowerment and defiance concurrently challenges the patriarchal culture that perpetuates an oppressive system wherein women are compelled to adhere to restrictive expectations of passiveness and obedience. By exercising her right to vote, Delia rejects the conventional norms of gender subordination.

Delia's act of voting aligns with Murgia's argument presented in her book Sta Zitta, which emphasizes the necessity for women to reclaim their voices and challenges the language and norms that have been silencing them.

In "C'è ancora domani," Paola Cortellesi adeptly depicts the enduring challenge women face in asserting their voices in a society that has historically sought to silence them. The film portrays not only the personal struggles faced by women in post-war Italy but also offers a broader critique of the pervasive gender inequalities that persist in contemporary times. By establishing a comparison between Michela Murgia's perceptive works, Ave Mary and Stai zitta, it becomes evident that the unheard voice of the female has been sustained through the interweaving of religious and social structures. Delia's transition from silence to empowerment, reaching its zenith in her participation in the 1946 referendum, exemplifies a resounding reclamation of agency and voice.

References

1 Murgia, Michela (2011). Ave Mary. E la chiesa inventò la donna. Einaudi.
2 Stai zitta e altre nove frasi che non vogliamo più sentire., 2021, Einaudi.