A reformist Reverend Mother puts the lives of her fellow nuns in jeopardy, by insisting they hold a referendum over whether to expel Jewish families fleeing from the same Italian Nazi, that fathered her illegitimate child.

Inspired by true life events.

“Jo Jo Rabbit” meets "The Two Popes"Semi Finalist New York City International Screenplay Awards 2022, Official Selection 2022 Oaxaca FilmFest Best Feature Narrative Script, Semifinalist, Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards Season 6

SYNOPSIS:

THE NUNS’ REFERENDUM: SYNOPSIS by Suzy Miller

The Vatican sent REVEREND MOTHER CATERINA to a remote convent intent on increasing efficiency using democratic methods. But it’s 1943, and the democracies that spawned Hitler and Mussolini have become brutal dictatorships.

Caterina is traumatised by the vengeful execution of a local Jewish child by the Italian Nazi Lieutenant PIETRO ROMANO. Her nightmares reveal a non-consensual relationship with Romano from the past.

Mussolini’s rescue by Hitler results in local Jewish families fleeing and hiding out in the Convent. Caterina agrees with SISTER DANIELA that they must be cast out, but not until they can be given provisions. The local priest FATHER NICOLAS insists that without identity papers, the Jewish families and their RABBI are as good as dead. Despite rejecting his suggestion, when the Priest’s Resistance contacts provide a way to create fake identity papers, Caterina insists that the nuns wait for the papers to arrive before sending the Jewish families away. Sister Daniela accuses her of signing a death warrant for them all.

Romana recognises Caterina and assaults her, and she escapes by revealing that she bore him a child that later died. The Priest insists Caterina should hold a referendum by the nuns to decide for themselves the fate of the refugees. But Caterina knows that the nuns will vote for the refugee to leave.

The Nazi Romano discovers that Caterina lied and that their child did not die. He becomes obsessed with finding his heir and after failing to find the Jewish families hidden in the convent grounds, he accuses Caterina of putting the lives of Jewish children above her own child. Sister Daniela realises that Caterina was raped by Romano and insists that consent does make a difference. Caterina refuses to accept this, as she carries such guilt having been thrown out by her family because of the pregnancy.

After the priest is murdered for not revealing where the Jewish families are hiding, Romano offers Caterina an amnesty. Caterina is shocked to see Sister Daniela’s sketch of the hundreds of bodies at the Monte Sole massacre.

When Sister Daniela’s attempts to get the refugees to leave goes awry, Caterina insists that they will now hold a referendum. She tries to emotionally connect the nuns with their Jewish neighbours who have already disappeared, but the nuns are clearly going to vote leave. The request Caterina sent to the Pope arrives by carrier pigeon and she has formal permission to make any decision she feels fit. Based on the Pope’s endorsement, the Sisters are now wanting to change their votes to ‘Remain’.

Sister Daniela throws them into confusion when she reveals that the Nazi Romano has offered an amnesty if they give up the Jewish families. Caterina counters that she does not trust Romano to not send the families off to Concentration Camps. The vote is going to swing back towards ‘Leave’ when the Rabbi bursts in with the two naughty TWINS. Their antics break the tension but lead to Sister Daniela breaking down and she reveals the horrific death toll of children at the Nazi massacre of Monte Sole.

This pricks the Nuns’ compassion for the Jewish refugees and they are clearly going to continue to protect them, but news of the imminent arrival of the soldiers makes a decision about the fate of their refugees redundant, as they are sure to be found this time.

Caterina confesses to the villagers who have followed the soldiers to the Convent, that she was wrong to reject her child because of the blood that runs in his veins. She had felt that she had no voice. Romano is furious she is refusing the amnesty. Caterina reveals that the Nuns held a Referendum and voted unanimously that the welfare of all children should lie at the heart of every nation, and this has been sent to the Pope and from there to all the leaders the world. Because democracy, and having your voice heard, matters.

After the soldiers leave, the Jewish families are revealed to be hiding inside the statue of Jesus. The Rabbi informs the families that they have been invited to stay until it’s safe to leave, and Romano has been humiliated by the Pope and ordered to stay away from the convent.