In the words of writer and director Alice Rohrwacher, the film is “about desires, pure and selfish, about freedom and devotion, about the anarchy that is capable of flowering in the minds of each one of them within the confines of the strict boarding school although the obedient girls can’t move, their pupils can dance the unrestrained dance of freedom.”
Le Pupille is an Italian live-action short film beautifully set during the war-stricken Mussolini fascist era. The white winter backdrop, a snow-laden pastel pink old Catholic orphanage run by strict nuns, innocent little girls full of curiosity and desires around Christmas Eve. Inspired by a letter Italian novelist Elsa Morante sent to her friend about a cake, the movie speaks to empaths who can feel the emotions of the characters be it the joy-seeking little angels, catholic nuns, war-torn normal people or hard-working, low waged chimney sweepers.
Although it is a short gritty tale reminding of staged Christmas acts, not much scenic escape confined to the boundaries of the melancholy orphanage which represents the small restricted lives of the girls, the film follows a raw method of storytelling which could be archaic to some but what makes the film extraordinary is its simplicity, the portrayal of the scarcity in difficult war times, Religious rules and oppression, Sorrow of citizens, little desires and innocence of young kids delivered through brilliant acting and the lovely music written by a band “The Cleaning Women”.
The film is simple short sweet fun, focusing on its message. The movie’s colour palette is dull except for the cake is coloured in bright crimson, making it the most tempting beautiful subject representing luxury in times like those.
Details
Le pupille Italian: [le puˈpille], “The Pupils”
Written and directed By: Alice Rohrwacher
Cinematography by: Hélène Louva
Produced by : Academy Award® winner Alfonso Cuarón, Carlo Cresto-Dina, Gabriela Rodriguez
Awards: Nominee – 2023 Academy Award® for Short Film Live Action
Genre: Holiday, Comedy, Fantasy
Runtime: 37m
Original Language: Italian
Cast:
- Melissa Falasconi as Serafina
- Alba Rohrwacher as Mother Superior Fioralba
- Greta Zuccheri Montanari as Sister Paoletta
- Carmen Pommella as Sister Caterina
- Lady Maru as Sister Carmela
- Valeria Bruni Tedeschi as Rosa L’innamorata (Pink the Sweetheart)
- Luciano Vergaro as Goffredo(Chimney cleaner)
- Sofia as The Little Dog
The film was shot on warm and grainy 16mm film, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was later released on the Disney+ ott platform on December 16, 2022.
The film has won many awards and now it is nominated for Oscars 2023.
Plot Synopsis
The film opens up with the little girls singing while opening a letter about a cake. Then the story begins at an Italian Catholic rusty orphanage covered in snow under maintenance during World war. With Christmas around the corner, the strict nuns who run the orphanage are busy with preparations.
Curious little orphans are excited despite having no home to go to for holidays, naughty girls try to jinx one of the girls who is going with her aunt for festivity and make fun of her aunt’s appearance while peeping from the window as they are not allowed outside the boundaries. Nuns scold the girls to make their bed and one of the obedient girls Serafina (Melissa Falasconi) shows them she did it already. Later a lady tries to contact girls from outside to make a wish for her as everyone believed prayers from innocent children are heard for which she is told by a nun to visit the parlour.
It’s Christmas eve, all the girls warm up themselves, and Serafina is shown carrying coal. The costumes are distributed to the girls and in hurry, Serafina drops a cloth heart which is a part of the costume near the radio. The mother superior (Alba Rohrwacher) asks the girls to line up and listen to the news of the war. She turns up the radio and leaves in an emergency. Serafina tries to pick up the heart she dropped near the radio but accidentally the radio tunes up to a music channel. The girls start dancing in joy and singing the song lyrics “Kiss me baby” while confused Serafina stares at them. Upon returning mother gets furious with the girls and punishes them to wash their mouths using soap for singing. She orders everyone to forget the lyrics and declares Serafina wicked.
Christmas night falls, all the girls dressed as little angels are perfectly hovered and tied to the decoration above the Mary, little Jesus and other shepherds played by Nuns and girls creating a tableau in the cold. War-torn citizens keep coming in with requests asking the angels to wish and in exchange giving gifts to the Nuns like oil and money for the orphanage. The rich lady who was trying to contact girls earlier comes again and urges the angels to make a wish for her beloved. After boasting it took 70 eggs in preparation, She gifts them the most scrumptious red-coloured cake alluring the girls.
Afterwards, while dinner kids are asked by mother Superior to sacrifice their piece of cake in solidarity with the hungry families and soldiers. She makes a decision to donate the cake to the bishop which is not only the orphan girls’ little hope but the only joy they earned after acting as showpiece angels. Mother asks the good girls who want to donate to stand up. All the obedient girls stand up except Serafina. She persistently sits even after being pressured and her innocent answer to the question, Why she didn’t get up is simple, She is Wicked according to Mother Superior.
Innocent Serafina believed she is wicked and didn’t stand up as only the good girls were asked to stand up. Mother gives Serafina a big piece of cake angrily. Serafina creates chaos by throwing some of the cake for a stray dog and escapes with a fistful of cake secretly to the dorm. Nuns feel powerless as they failed in manipulating a child and couldn’t give the cake to the priest. The furious mother Superior gives the rest of the cake to Gofreddo, the chimney cleaner who is asking for his payment after maintenance.
The red cake brought out different emotions in the characters for the audience to see. In the end, the little girls get to taste the cake as Serafina shares with them a teeny tiny amount of cake which she grabbed in her little hand. Gofreddo stumbles on the stairs and falls down with the cake yet all the cleaners and other hard-working men eat in joy whatever they could save from the destroyed cake.
Moral of the story
Well the girls in the film say, they don’t know and that destiny works in mysterious ways.
We deduced it is true that destiny works mysteriously but if you are tenacious and wise enough to want something you can get it. Also, those termed falsely as wicked or bad by society, those who have courage and a mind of their own turn out to be the best people with big hearts.
The central idea of this heartwarming story is to think above oppressive rules and be kind to the innocent and needy as kindness is scarce in difficult times and cruel regimes.
Ratings
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It is a must-watch, one of the best Christmas films released this season.