A Special Day

On 4 May 1938, the day Hitler visits Mussolini in Rome, Antonietta remains at home doing her usual chores while her husband and six children join a parade. The building feels quiet and empty except for the caretaker Pauletta and their neighbor Gabriele. Gabriele is a radio broadcaster who has been dismissed and is about to be deported to Sardinia for his homosexuality and alleged anti-fascist stance.

The family's myna escapes from the apartment and flies to a window near Gabriele. Antonietta arrives at his door, asking to be let in to reach the bird. This chance encounter sets the stage for an unlikely connection amid the regime's pressures.

Gabriele has been interrupted from attempting suicide, but he redirects his moment of despair into saving the myna by offering it food. He is amused by the episode, and the two begin to see each other beyond surface differences. This act marks a fragile turning point in their relationship.

Unaware of his sexual orientation, Antonietta flirts and dances the rumba with him, surprised by the ease of their closeness. Their initial astonishment gradually gives way to curiosity about the other. The encounter hints at companionship beyond the oppressive atmosphere outside.

Pauletta warns Antonietta that Gabriele is anti-fascist, and Antonietta finds this view despicable at first. The warning deepens the tension as she weighs loyalty to her husband and the new bond forming with Gabriele. The couple's conversation begins to test social norms and fear.

Gabriele reveals he was fired for being homosexual and speaks of his anti-fascist stance. He carries a weight of persecution and fear, yet his honesty draws Antonietta closer. The revelation reframes their understanding of each other's oppression.

Antonietta opens up about her arrogant, unfaithful husband who has shown a preference for an educated woman. She begins to see that her own life is constrained by social expectations and a lack of personal autonomy. The confession strengthens their mutual sense of oppression.

Through their interaction, each realizes the other is oppressed by social and governmental conditioning. They come to form a more nuanced impression of one another, moving beyond first impressions and stereotypes. This shared insight marks a new, fragile bond between them.

They have sex, but for different reasons, and the moment changes nothing about their broader circumstances. Gabriele and Antonietta acknowledge the limits of personal connection within a repressive regime, yet the experience deepens their emotional ties. The scene underscores the tension between desire and political reality.

Soon after their intimate encounter, Antonietta's family returns home and Gabriele is arrested by fascist authorities. The sudden shift illustrates how quickly personal hopes can be crushed by state control. The arrest marks a dangerous end to their clandestine connection.

Antonietta sits by the window and reads a book Gabriele gave her, The Three Musketeers. She watches as her lover leaves the complex escorted by fascist policemen. Inside, her husband waits for their seventh child, whom he wants to name Adolfo.