Woman's Name

At a moment when the #MeToo movement dominates entertainment-industry headlines, this intense drama from acclaimed Italian filmmaker Marco Tullio Giordana tackles how the other half lives and works in its depiction of Nina, a single mother whose relief at finding a low-paying job as an attendant in a nursing home dissipates as soon as she’s subjected to her boss’s sexual advances. A smothering sense of resignation pervades the film as Nina is consumed by shock and anger - not least at her female co-workers, who didn’t warn her about the inevitable harassment and refuse to associate with her once she brings it to light. But against the seemingly immovable forces of entitlement, complicity, and fear that lead to her increasing isolation, she’s determined to fight for her rights. (Denver International Film Festival)