Il popolo delle donne

In the cloister of the University of Milan, psychoanalyst Marina Valcarenghi delivers a lecture on the causes of violence against women and the possibilities of countering it. Drawing on more than forty years of clinical experience across private practice, courts, and prisons, she develops a lucid reflection on the relationship between women’s emancipation and the rise of male violence. Among the first to introduce psychoanalysis into prisons, Valcarenghi has worked in male isolation wards with inmates convicted of sexual violence. Her words are interwoven with fragments of testimonies collected during prison interviews and therapeutic sessions, revealing an emotional landscape marked by deep and collective fears. The narrative spans thirty years of Italian history to question the transformations in gender dynamics, showing how insecurity and conflict take root within social change. Between analysis, memory, and political urgency, the film opens a space for listening and understanding, offering new perspectives to interpret and confront gender-based violence.