Armchair Escapism 3

FILMS

C’è ancora domani
In postwar Rome, our protagonist Delia is a devoted housewife. She puts up with her abusive
husband, her mischievous sons, and her headstrong daughter. Everything changes when she
receives a mysterious letter that breaks her cycle of duty and she begins to consider a brighter
future ahead. The film approaches serious issues about stereotypical gender roles with comedic
whimsy and charm.

For Your Eyes Only
Under the height of Cold War tensions James Bond is deployed to recover a communications
device that cannot enter Russian hands. His thrilling adventures whisk him off to an array of
seductive southern European hubs like the glamorous ski resort, Cortina in Italy and the romantic
Corfu town. One of the more dramatic scenes takes place at the Monastery of the Holy trinity in
Meteora, a 600m high place of worship that can still be visited today.

Volver
Raimunda and her all-female family are navigating the hardships of working class life in a small
sun-drenched Spanish town. After the sudden death of her mother, Raimunda confronts past
demons, family dramas, and old wounds. To make matters even more difficult, the ghost of
Raimunda’s mother suddenly appears as a guiding spirit for the women she left behind. The film
intertwines humour and tragedy, as we fall in love with various eccentricities of the female
characters with all their struggles and their strengths.

BOOKS

The Count of Monte Cristo
The dashing sailor Edmond Dantès is betrayed by his friend Mondego and unfairly imprisoned for
treason. After dramatically escaping his confines, he washes up on the island of Monte Cristo.
There, he uncovers hidden treasures that catapult him into the upper echelons of wealth and he
assumes the title of Count. With his newfound status, he sets on mission to take revenge on all
those who wronged him. As he acts on the hatred he has for his enemies, he also begins to fall in
love.

The Marriage Portrait
A thrilling historical fiction of Lucrezia Di Cosimo de Medici. She was a real figure, the daughter of
Cosimo I de Medici, ruler of Florence in the 16th century. At 15 years old, Lucrezia was married off
to the handsome, wealthy, Duke of Ferrara for the political gain of her father. The story begins with
a frightened Lucrezia trapped in a hunting lodge and certain that her husband is going to kill her.
The narrative then weaves between her childhood, her wedding, her life away from her family and
her present peril. The story is gripping from start to finish and also paints a picture of Italian noble
life in the 1500s.

The Lost Domain
It’s French title is Le Grand Meulnes named after our book’s protagonist. Meulne’s adventures are
observed and trailed through the adoring eyes of François. Fantasy, symbolism, love, romance
and teenage angst are interwoven into a quest for a hidden estate which Meulnes once stumbled
upon. There, he was enchanted by the scenes of an extravagant wedding and where he fell in love
with the mesmerising Yvonne. With the help of François, whose life had been an uneventful blur
before meeting Meulnes, the two boys resolve to find this lost domain and Yvonne once more.