Maria

Montessori

The friendship between Maria and Lili, one a doctor and the other a courtesan, in early 20th-century Rome. Maria helps Lili's mentally challenged child grow up properly using a revolutionary method. For her first film, Léa Todorov chooses to highlight the life of someone who, before Françoise Dolto, completely reinvented pediatrics and care related to autism. Jasmine Trinca and Leïla Bekhti deliver outstanding performances in this period piece, where the destinies of two women intertwine with the early feminist movement of the century. It’s a work that explores female friendship and presents a poignant portrait of the patriarchy of the time.