Gloria!

Venice, around 1800: At the Collegio Sant’Ignazio, an old music school for girls from poor families, lives Teresa, known to everyone simply as “the Mute.” No one suspects the extraordinary talent of this humble maid: Teresa is able to experience the world around her as rhythm, perceive its beauty, and transform it through music. While life at the college revolves entirely around the upcoming visit of the newly enthroned pope and the old bandmaster struggles to compose a glorious piece for the pontiff, Teresa makes a discovery in the storage room: a pianoforte. An extraordinary quartet of young women gathers around Teresa and the revolutionary “music machine”; against the bandmaster’s will, they develop their own vision of music—inspired by their lived experience and their emotions. The result is a revolutionary, feminine sound that the world certainly did not expect... With “Gloria!”, director Margherita Vicario has created a truly unusual historical film, which even earned her an invitation to the Berlinale competition in 2024. With impressive verve, she blends a story of female creativity with contemporary pop elements set against a classical backdrop, as the young women rebel against the patriarchal structures surrounding them and find their own musical voice. The multi-award-winning score lends the film its infectious energy and makes this story of emancipation not only accessible but, through its vibrancy, something truly special. At the same time, “Gloria!” captivates with its atmospheric visual language and its dedicated ensemble cast, led by Galatéa Bellugi in the role of Teresa.