A sharp, witty comedy that becomes a powerful story of female self-determination.
La ragazza con la pistola by Mario Monicelli
Stars: Monica Vitti, Carlo Giuffré, Stanley Baker, Corinne Redgrave
98 minutes, with English subtitles
Join Us, Sunday, March 8, 2026 @ 4:00 PM
DAS Conference Center: 30400 Telegraph Rd., Ste 322 – Bingham Farm, MI 48025 (East Entrance)
In celebration of the 155 years of International Women’s Day, we present a special screening of La ragazza con la pistola, a landmark of Italian cinema that uses humor to explore a theme that remains deeply relevant: a woman’s right to define her own life.
The film follows Assunta Patanè, a young Sicilian woman raised in a rigid honor culture where a woman’s value is tied to reputation and obedience. After being seduced and abandoned, she travels to England with a gun in her suitcase, determined to restore her “honor.”
What she finds instead is a different world, one where women work, live independently, and make their own choices. Her journey transforms from revenge to awakening, from social duty to personal freedom.
The heart of the film is not the weapon she carries, but the moment she realizes she no longer needs it.
With Monica Vitti’s extraordinary performance, the film gently dismantles stereotypes, challenges patriarchal codes, and reveals emancipation as a deeply personal revolution.
Official global theme for #IWD 2026
To promote a mindset of generosity, collaboration, and reciprocity, when we give (time, support, opportunities, resources), we all gain toward greater gender equality.
In many countries (especially Italy and parts of Europe), the tradition involves men giving women mimosa flowers as a symbol of the day, often paired with treats such as mimosa cake.
Organized by the Dante Alighieri Society of Michigan in collaboration with the Consulate of Italy in Detroit.