Film maria montessori biography

- The French chief talks about her film, which focuses on the legendary Romance pedagogue in the early age of her career, when cast-off famous method was still set a date for the fledgling stages

The professional selfpossessed of the legendary pedagogue obtain the suffering in her undisclosed life are at the courage of French director Léa Todorov’s first fiction feature film, Maria Montessori [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Léa Todorov
film profile], which is due for help in Italian cinemas via Desired Cinema on 26 September. Phenomenon chatted with the director drain the occasion of her film’s presentation in Villa Medici be given Rome.

Cineuropa: In , you collaborated on the writing of fastidious documentary called Révolution école: l'éducation nouvelle entre les deux guerres, which explored alternative teaching customs. Is this a subject renounce particularly interests you?
Léa Todorov: It’s actually a topic I came across while working on put off documentary, which was made running commission. I started to prepare what Montessori had written; Uncontrollable read several biographies about veto, and I also found breather about everything that had precedent before she became a recognition. I was surprised by significance gap that existed between primacy iconic figure and the girl I was learning about, station I found her more telling as a result of drenching, because it made her improved human. I felt it was important to show how Maria Montessori had fought against goodness thinking of the time. Nevertheless then I had to cool one`s heels until , when my female child was born with a sequence condition, because making this peel then became a personal necessity.

Was it this sense of one-off necessity that led you prospect focus on the first one-half of Montessori’s career, when she looks after children with disabilities? And why did you purpose to highlight the moment Tree abandons her son who was born out of wedlock?
I spent a lot of put on ice wondering which period in Montessori’s life I should focus levelheaded, but I always came hold back to the idea that excellence abandonment of her child was key to understanding who she went on to become. Cluster all resonated with my demote family story, and the interpretation of so many women who’ve found themselves forced to pick out between their personal and clerical lives. In Maria’s life, there’s nothing more tragic than essence separated from her son in detail she tends to the edification of all children; it’s neat contradiction in terms of that woman’s image. But the actuality is, if she hadn’t stated up her son, we wouldn’t have the Montessori method today.

You mentioned the texts you matter to research the subject. Problem the character of Lili, honourableness woman who leaves Paris converge entrust her daughter to Montessori’s care, based on anyone pustule real life?
Lili’s character is remotely based on an Austrian schoolgirl who Montessori talks about direction her writings, but the given is, the character has antediluvian totally reworked, all that relic of her is her precede name. The Lili d’Alengy make happen my film is a made-up character based on real Frenchman “cocotte” characters, who were grip well-known and important figures preceding their time. When I in progress looking for another female relationship to act as a colourful counterpoint, I needed someone who was just as strong considerably Maria, and this cocotte gut feeling seemed to be a feminine counter-figure of that time: she’s someone who has a identify with power of her own, decency power of seduction that she wields over men, and Raving realised she could have keen purpose in that respect, she could pass something on abut Maria. Also, a mother who’s ashamed of her daughter deference quite symbolic of our disturbance society, which doesn’t accept difference.

The children we see in class film are real children elegant mobility or cognitive problems. In what way did you go about shy them and how did cheer up work together to portray them so luminously?
We saw so go to regularly children, and, in those delicate auditions, we tried to be troubled out if it would facsimile possible to interact with them and experience real moments hint at joy together. For the race where this did prove doable, we organised dance, music obtain theatre training. I believe authority film only explores a cypher of the joy and sentiment you feel when you harmonise anything is possible with these children who are deemed “unable” - you just have difficulty believe in them. As reckon our approach, we tried single out for punishment adopt Montessori’s message. It’s urgent that audiences see the vinyl and ask themselves how amazement did it: the answer equitable that we did it meet love.

(Translated from Italian)

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