The film, which you can all watch right now, tells the story of Holocaust survivor Madame Rosa (played by Loren). During the lowest points of her life, Rosa had made her living as a streetwalker. Now, she makes her living babysitting the children of a woman in the same line of work in a small town in Italy. The story revolves around her connection with 12-year-old Momo, one of the kids under her care.
The Origin Story
Holocaust survivors have some incredible life stories to tell, some of which sound almost too impossible to have happened. However, Rosa’s story, which sounds quite feasible, is not based on real life. It is based on a book, though. The book in question is Romain Gary’s “La Vie Devant Soi” (which translates to “The Life Before Us”), a French novel from 1975. The film adaptation relocates the plot to Italy rather than keeping it in France.
Critics Can’t Get Enough
Sophia is not the only Loren featured in the film. Her son, Edoardo Ponti, is actually the director of the movie. And all the talent displayed there did not go unnoticed. Sophia’s display of acting excellence might grant her a 2021 Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Such a nomination would win her the title of the oldest actress nominated for the category. It will also break the record set by Henry Fonda for the longest gap between two acting nominations. So now, all you have to do is brush up on your Italian (or just, you know, turn on the subtitles) and start watching.