THEon the occasion of International day for the elimination of violence against women, Rai 3 airs at 21.25 The life to come – Herself. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia! And The iron lady), the movie Tells of a woman willing to do anything to save herself and her daughters from an abusive husband. In the role of the woman, Clare Dunnewho also co-wrote the screenplay with Malcolm Campbell.
The life to comethe plot and the cast
Sandra (Clare Dunne) lives with Gary (Ian Lloyd Anderson) in Ireland and they have two daughters. On paper, they seem like a couple like any other. In reality, behind the facade of a normal family, hell is hidden. Humiliations and harassments, which Sandra constantly suffersbut to which he does not know how to react.
Like the most classic of stories of violencethe bad moments alternate with the good ones and the relationship of emotional dependence that develops causes the woman not to know how to get out of that state of subordination. However, Sandra knows that her story with her husband is not going as it should and that the only salvation is represented by escape.
Therefore, decides to leave home. It is a thoughtful decision, which he carries out in silence. She puts money aside for some time, but luck does not assist her. Her husband finds out and Sandra gets it in return kicks and punches. Furthermore, Gary throws her to the ground and eventually breaks her hand.
Sandra’s story and the ending it deserves
It is the straw that overflows the vase. More and more convinced of wanting to leave, leave the marital home. In spite of everything, the daughters still meet their father on the weekends. Their new life is far from idyllic, due to the contingents financial difficultiesbut Sandra does everything to imagine the life that will come after closing a painful page.
The days pass quickly between one tiring job and another, functional to keep the wolf from the door and to ensure a better future for himself and his daughters. He starts looking for a house, but gets one rejection after another. Disillusioned and exhausted, she stumbles across the video of a man who built himself a house, for a fraction of the cost. The story serves as a stimulus to dream of a better future and she eventually begins to imagine doing the same thing.
Not everything runs smoothly, because the knots come straight to the comb. And while Gary does everything to take away custody of her daughtersSandra collides with harsh reality. No one gives credit to a single mother without great financial means. On this tortuous path, ask for help from Peggy (Harriet Walter), who gives her a portion of land, on which to build a house. Sandra has to start from scratch, but she finds the support of friends and loved ones who decide to help her and help make her dream come true.
Clare Dunne in a scene from “The life to come”. (Bir Distribution)
The life to comemovie review
Clare Dunne gives an intense and captivating performance. Give life to a character as strong as bent by life. Sandra’s story is that of thousands of women, who fall into the clutches of the wrong man. Of the man who, in order to assert his supremacy, convinces himself that he has to physically and psychologically tear his partner to pieces.
Neither The life to come there is an important passage that crystallizes the perception that, still today, we have of violence against women. “You can’t take my daughters,” the woman yelled at her husband during her custody hearing. Then turning to the judges, she says: “You all know what he did to me, and yet you still drag me here and ask me questions like: why didn’t you leave him? But would you never ask why he didn’t stop?”.
It’s the classic reversal of the burden of proof which is often striking the woman victim of violence. In addition to having to find a way to survive, she is sometimes forced to justify her actions even in front of those who should defend her. A wound as deep as unfortunately real in today’s society. In addition to Dunne and the actors already mentioned, they complete the cast, Conleth Hill (Aido Deveney), Ruby Rose O’Hara and Molly McCannrespectively in the role of daughters Emma and Molly.
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