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There's Still Tomorrow (2025) movie poster

Timeline

There's Still Tomorrow (2025) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2025 · 1 h 58 m · Italian
Echo score 78
Starring
Valerio Mastandrea, Giorgio Colangeli, Yonv Joseph, Romana Maggiora Vergano, Barbara Chiesa

Set in postwar Rome, a working-class woman struggles with an abusive husband while striving for a brighter future for her daughter. A surprising letter sparks a newfound courage within her, prompting her to confront her circumstances and seek a different path.

Comedy Drama History Cast, crew & box office
On this page (4)
  1. 1 Events in order (13)
  2. 2 Timeline questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Every angle

13 events in order · contains spoilers

There's Still Tomorrow Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of There's Still Tomorrow (2025) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Post-war Rome in May 1946

    The movie is set in post-war Rome, where the atmosphere is charged with the presence of Allied military troops who roam the streets in Jeeps. This period is characterized by poverty and social unrest as the city prepares for a crucial institutional referendum and the election of the Constituent Assembly scheduled for June 2 and 3.

    When
    May 1946
    Where
    Rome

  2. Delia's Struggles

    Delia, a woman in an abusive marriage with Ivano, juggles her domestic responsibilities while caring for her father-in-law Ottorino and managing a household of three children. She also takes on sewing and laundry jobs for wealthy individuals, struggling to maintain her dignity in a difficult life.

  3. The Supportive Friendship

    Delia finds comfort in her circle of friends which includes Nino, a caring car mechanic; Marisa, an optimistic greengrocer; and William, an African American soldier eager to assist her. These friendships provide her with emotional support amid the turmoil of her daily life.

  4. Marcella's Engagement

    Delia's life takes a turn when her teenage daughter Marcella becomes engaged to Giulio Moretti, a wealthy young man whose family owns a profitable ice-cream parlor. As Delia contemplates this engagement, she worries about the potential for her daughter to face a similar unhappy marriage.

  5. The Sunday Lunch

    After hosting a Sunday lunch for Marcella's future in-laws, Delia witnesses the bossy behavior of Giulio, prompting her to reflect on the parallels between her own troubled marriage and what her daughter might face. This realization deepens her resolve to change their future.

  6. Delia's Act of Defiance

    Determined to prevent Marcella from enduring a life like hers, Delia enlists William's help to sabotage Giulio's family's bar, causing a significant financial blow. This act of defiance is a pivotal moment that showcases Delia's transition from passivity to empowerment.

  7. The Aftermath of the Bar Explosion

    The explosion of the bar brings devastation to Marcella, who is heartbroken by the loss of her future and the impact on her fiancé's family. Despite the personal cost, Delia feels that she has made the right choice, as she begins to regain her own agency.

  8. Delia's Voter Card

    In a small moment of triumph, Delia receives her first voter's card in the mail, symbolizing her newfound empowerment. She had saved a significant amount of money, initially meant for Marcella's wedding dress, instead opting to use it for her daughter's education as a means of breaking the cycle of abuse.

  9. June 2nd Voting Day

    On June 2, as the nation prepares for a crucial vote regarding monarchy versus republic, Delia is eager to participate. However, her plans are complicated by the sudden death of her father-in-law, which draws family and friends to her home and distracts her from her political intentions.

    When
    June 2, 1946
    Where
    Rome

  10. Journey to the Polls

    Despite the chaos that follows her father-in-law's death, Delia is determined to reach the polls and cast her vote, marking her first experience as a voter among other Italian women. This journey signifies the gravity of her choice to stand up and participate in the rebuilding of her society.

    Where
    Polling station in Rome

  11. The Lost Voter Card

    Before heading out to vote, Delia accidentally loses her voter card in her house. The card becomes a point of contention as it is discovered first by her husband Ivano, who intends to undermine her agency, followed by Marcella, who understands its significance for her mother's empowerment.

  12. Support from Marcella

    In a crucial moment, Marcella finds the voter card and rushes to deliver it to Delia. This act not only highlights their bond but also serves as a pivotal point in Delia's ability to execute her right to vote, reclaiming her sense of self-worth and determination.

  13. Casting the Vote

    Finally reaching the polls with the help of her daughter, Delia is able to cast her vote amidst a sea of other women participating for the first time. This action symbolizes a significant step toward individual empowerment and reflects the broader societal change taking place in post-war Italy.

    When
    June 3, 1946
    Where
    Polling station in Rome

Last updated: January 27, 2025 at 22:39

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Timeline questions answered

There's Still Tomorrow Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of There's Still Tomorrow (2025): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Delia blow up Giulio's bar?

Delia destroys Giulio's family bar to prevent her daughter Marcella from marrying him. She realizes Giulio shares the same controlling, entitled behavior as her abusive husband Ivano, and she cannot allow Marcella to become trapped in a marriage mirroring her own painful experience.

Foreshadowing: During the Sunday lunch with Marcella's future in-laws, Delia observes Giulio's bossy behavior toward his mother, which mirrors Ivano's treatment of her.

  • Delia
  • Giulio bar explosion
  • Marcella engagement
  • preventing abuse
  • Delia defiance
Q2

Why is Delia's voter's card so important?

The voter's card represents Delia's first opportunity to participate in Italy's democratic process. In June 1946, Italian women were voting for the first time in a national election to decide between monarchy and republic, making this a historic moment of political empowerment for women who had previously been excluded from voting.

  • voter's card
  • 1946 Italy election
  • first women vote
  • Constituent Assembly
  • historical context
Q3

Why does Delia use her savings for Marcella's education instead of a wedding dress?

Delia redirects the 8000 Lire she saved for Marcella's wedding dress to fund her daughter's education because she believes education offers Marcella real independence and choices, unlike a marriage that could trap her in a life of domestic servitude similar to Delia's own experience.

  • 8000 Lire
  • Delia savings
  • Marcella education
  • financial sacrifice
  • women empowerment
Q4

Why does Delia see Marcella's engagement as dangerous?

Delia recognizes that Giulio exhibits the same controlling, patriarchal behavior as her husband Ivano. She witnessed Giulio bossing his mother around during Sunday lunch and realized Marcella would face the same violence and denigration Delia suffered in her own marriage.

Foreshadowing: The Sunday lunch scene explicitly shows Giulio's authoritarian personality, triggering Delia's traumatic memories of her own marriage.

  • Marcella engagement
  • Giulio Moretti
  • Delia abusive marriage
  • controlling husband
  • cycle of abuse
Q5

What happens when Delia loses her voting card?

After Delia accidentally drops her voting card, it falls first into the hands of her husband Ivano, who intends to use it to prevent her from voting. However, Marcella finds it and understands its significance, rushing to deliver it to Delia so she can participate in the historic election.

  • lost voting card
  • Ivano
  • Marcella finds card
  • June 2 1946 voting
Q6

What triggers Delia's decision to take action against Giulio's family?

Delia's transformation is triggered by witnessing Giulio's behavior at Sunday lunch, where he displays the same domineering attitude toward his mother that Ivano displays toward Delia. This realization that her daughter faces the same fate compels her to act decisively to destroy the marriage opportunity before it can begin.

Foreshadowing: The Sunday lunch with Giulio's family serves as the turning point where Delia moves from passive suffering to active resistance.

  • Delia transformation
  • decision to act
  • Giulio family
  • sabotage
  • empowerment
Q7

What is the historical context of the election in the movie?

The movie takes place in May-June 1946, when post-war Rome was preparing for a crucial institutional referendum and the election of the Constituent Assembly on June 2 and 3. This was Italy's first election allowing women to vote, determining whether Italy would remain a monarchy or become a republic.

  • 1946 Italy referendum
  • Constituent Assembly
  • June 2 1946
  • post-war Rome
  • Italian election
Q8

What role do Delia's friends play in her journey?

Delia's friends, Nino the mechanic, Marisa the greengrocer, and William the American soldier, provide emotional support and practical assistance throughout her struggles. William specifically helps her carry out the bar sabotage, while her friends' encouragement strengthens her resolve to seek a better life.

  • Nino
  • Marisa
  • William
  • Delia friends
  • support network
Q9

How does the death of Delia's father-in-law affect the story?

The sudden death of Delia's father-in-law Ottorino creates chaos in her home, with relatives flocking to pay respects and potentially distracting her from voting. This complication nearly prevents her from reaching the polls, but also provides the distraction that leads to her accidentally misplacing her voting card.

  • Ottorino death
  • Delia father-in-law
  • family distraction
  • voting day complication
Q10

What does Delia's vote represent at the end of the movie?

Delia's vote symbolizes her reclamation of agency and voice after years of oppression. By casting her ballot in the historic June 1946 election, she asserts her right to participate in shaping her country's future while also securing her daughter's future through education rather than marriage.

  • Delia vote
  • first woman vote
  • Italy 1946
  • political empowerment
  • bittersweet ending

Movie threads

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The story pattern: These narratives typically center on a protagonist enduring a bleak situation, often with a domestic or societal focus. A catalyst—be it an event, person, or realization—sparks a slow-burn awakening, leading to a journey where hope is earned through courage and sacrifice, rather than given.

Why they belong together: We group these films together because they share a powerful and specific emotional mix: the palpable weight of oppression paired with an unwavering, often hard-won, sense of hope. They connect through their focus on character-driven resilience and the transformative power of small, brave choices.

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Triumphs that come with a cost, where victory is measured in sacrifice and growth. Explore movies similar to There's Still Tomorrow that feature bittersweet endings. If you appreciated the complex victory where Delia secures a future through sacrifice, these films about empowerment with a poignant cost will capture that same powerful feeling.

  • bittersweet
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The story pattern: The narrative arc involves a protagonist breaking free from a constricting situation, but their liberation or success is intertwined with loss. The ending acknowledges the pain of the journey and the price of change, resulting in a finale that is uplifting yet deeply poignant, celebrating hard-won agency without glossing over the scars.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their specific emotional payoff: a victory that feels earned yet is undeniably tinged with sadness. They resonate with viewers seeking stories that reflect the complex reality of change, where progress and pain often coexist.

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Every angle

There's Still Tomorrow (2025) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about There's Still Tomorrow in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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