'There’s Still Tomorrow' Review: A Remarkable Take On A Past That Reflects Our Present
On October 26, 2023, C’è ancora domani, or There’s Still Tomorrow in English, was released in theaters in Italy and quickly became a hit. The film, co-written and directed by director and actress Paola Cortellesi, was the most successful film at the 2023 Italian box office, beating both Barbie (2023) and Oppenheimer (2023), and is also the first Italian film of this scale directed by a woman. Cortellesi’s first feature also gained huge critical praise, winning multiple awards including Best Film at the Rome Film Fest. But more than its financial and critical success, C’è ancora domani also grew into a social phenomenon in its country of development, susciting debates and passionate discussions around the question of women’s rights, and throwing light on the subject of domestic violence.
The film, set in 1946 Italy—the year Italian women acquired the right to vote for the first time—follows the story of Delia (Paola Cortellesi), a mother of three children. The other central character of the film is Ivano (Valerio Mastandrea), Delia’s violent and authoritarian husband, whose mood dictates the family life, and regularly beats his wife. Delia’s sole support comes from her friend Marisa (Emanuela Franeli), who acts as her confidant. The family is getting ready for the upcoming wedding of Marcella (Romana Maggiora Vergano), the eldest daughter, with Giulio (Francesco Centorame), who comes from a wealthy family. However, one day, Delia receives a mysterious letter whose content will upset the family routine, leading her to bravely envisage a better future for her children and herself.
As director and lead actress Paola Cortellesi argues when introducing the film at the Vue West End Cinema’s screening, even though C’è ancora domani is set in the mid-forties, it is highly contemporary. When asked why she chose period music as well as contemporary scores for the film soundtrack, she explained that this mix of genres constituted a way to stress the importance of considering the issues the movie engages with as events still happening today, and that the women’s rights cause, no matter how much it has advanced these past decades, should never be taken for granted. The choice of a black-and-white image also contributes to placing the audience in the past, even though most of the shots convey a modernity that contrasts with the historical aspect of the film. The scene that best represents this balance between the past and the present might be the one where Delia, having escaped her husband, the undisclosed letter in her hand, begins to run while Outkast’s ‘B.O.B– Bomb Over Bagdad’ plays in the background. Both funny and significant, this contrast is what makes the film remarkable, explaining why the events it depicts have so many echoes in today’s audience.
In the same spirit, generational schemes play a central role in the movie’s plot. Marcella, who can’t bear the fact that her father regularly beats her mother, chooses to show contempt for Delia rather than directly blaming Ivano for his violent behaviour. Having witnessed her whole life her father abusing her mother, she doesn’t feel alarmed when her fiancé Giulio shows early signs of violence. This storyline illustrates how deeply anchored these dynamics can be within a family, and how important breaking these familial patterns is to build a better future for women.
Pointing out her own daughter as the muse for her film, Cortellesi describes the relationship between Delia and Marcella as ‘a love story’ as well as the ‘motor of the plot,’ stressing the importance of showing the younger generations the sacrifices that have been made by the women of the past in the long fight for their rights. She finishes by saying that her daughter ‘was amazed’ by some of the situations the film depicts, stating once again that setting her story in the past helps highlight the ‘toxic mentality’ that still prevails today by ‘showing what has changed, and what hasn’t.’ In November 2022, a month following the release of the film, a 22-year-old student named Giulia Cecchettin was murdered by her boyfriend, marking the 106th femicide of 2022 in Italy. Cortellesi is from a country in which today, a woman is murdered by her companion every three days on average, which can explain the deep resonance her film has had within the Italian audience.
The title, however, as well as the plot, offers a beautiful message of hope. Even though some of the film's themes can be difficult to watch on a screen, the way they are treated is also highly funny, bringing light to the general heaviness of the plot. At the screening, the audience burst into laughter several times, most of the spectators certainly recognising their own family dynamics in some of the scenes. Cortellesi, who listened to countless stories of daughters and granddaughters of the generation depicted in the movie, says that even though they were ‘talking about something really serious, they were using overtones of irony and sometimes, ridicule,’ adding that since she was ‘grateful for people that made her laugh, she wanted to repay that debt.’
Paola Cortellesi’s debut as a director is certainly a powerful one. The gorgeous photography (directed by David Leone) as well as the subtlety with which she approaches questions such as family relationships, domestic violence and friendship between women make C’è ancora domani a gorgeous testimony of past times, as well as a powerful reflection on women’s place within today’s society. It would be hard to imagine a better voice to carry this message of hope, in a world where telling the history of the fight for women’s rights is more important than ever.
Edited by Oisín McGilloway, Co-Film & TV Editor
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