Maria Montessori
Formerly going by the title of “Montessori” and “La Nouvelle Femme,” Léa Todorov moved into production on her feature debut this past April in Rome, Italy. Maria Montessori features Jasmine Trinca and Leïla Bekhti in a tale set in 1900 — a Parisian darling at the height of her fame must flee Paris in order to hide her daughter. Once in Rome, her life is turned upside down by a meeting with Maria Montessori, a woman doctor who has developed a method for teaching children with learning difficulties. Cinematographer Sébastien Goepfert teamed with Todorov. This was produced by Geko Films’ Grégoire Debailly (Shéhérazade).
Gist: Set in 1900, Lili d’Alengy (Leila Bekhti) a Parisian cocotte at the height of her fame, flees Paris to hide her “idiot” daughter.
Release Date/Prediction: We think this might be a contender for Locarno.
![]() |
![]() |