WINTER CINEMA CONTEMPORARY FILMS AT THE INSTITUTE 6- "Maria Montessori"

The Institute is pleased to invite you to the last screening of Winter Cinema, our series dedicated to contemporary Italian cinema: six special evenings to discover powerful, moving, and surprising stories through some of the most acclaimed Italian films of recent years.

From musical drama to comedy, from historical cinema to biographical storytelling, each screening offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in Italian language and culture in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Join us for another wonderful evening of Italian cinema… and, of course, popcorn! The perfect winter night filled with films, emotions, and conviviality.

Last of six FREE SCREENING: 06 August 2026 AT 6PM

The courtesan Lili d'Alengy is at the height of her fame at the beginning of the 20th century. After the death of her mother, she has to take over the upbringing of her disabled daughter Tina herself. In order to protect her reputation and hide Tina, whom she has always passed off as her niece, the Parisian demimondaine flees to Rome, where the young doctor Maria Montessori and her partner Giuseppe Montesano run a "Pedagogical Institute" for disabled children. Montessori also developed a method to help children with learning difficulties. Lili would prefer to simply drop the girl off there; because there is only one place available for day care, she ultimately stays in Rome.

Maria and Giuseppe have a son of their own, little Mario. Because an illegitimate relationship would not be accepted by society, he has to be brought up by a wet nurse in the countryside. Even the conservative doctors are slow to change their minds, but Maria has to convince them of her approach in order to receive funding. Lili wants to continue to be perceived in Paris as a "Donna Nuova", a modern, emancipated woman. During her stay in Rome, she also looks for lovers. She is delighted when Tina starts to make progress. The contact with other children and the music are visibly good for the girl, a success of Montessori's methods. Lili realizes how important attention, patience and love are in raising children.

When she breaks up with Giuseppe, who fears for his reputation, and he reveals that he is about to marry another woman, which would mean Maria would be separated from Mario, she breaks down; however, Lili sticks by her and introduces her new friend to the art of self-promotion. This gives Maria the self-confidence she needs to assert herself in the male world of science, where Montesano has always won the laurels. Together with Lili and Betsy, she creates a network that gives them independence and stands for a new pedagogy focused on the love of children and the independence of their minds.

In Italian with English subtitles. Free admission with reservations