Speriamo Che Sia Femmina (aka Let's Hope It's A Girl) (1986)

Although married, a woman (Liv Ullmann) lives apart from her husband (Philippe Noiret). She lives in the Tuscan countryside while her husband resides in Rome. She lives with an extended female centric family including her actress sister's (Catherine Deneuve) daughter (Francesca Calo). Directed by Mario Monicelli (BIG DEAL ON MADONNA STREET) who won the David di Donatello award (the Italian Oscar) for best director for his work here. The film is near plotless. Instead, we get a series of incidents that eventually build up to a tale of female bonding and empowerment. However, despite its feminist narrative, it isn't heavy handed. Monicelli slowly lets it grow without us even being aware of it until the very end. The only problem I had with it was the usual Italian dubbing. The Nordic Liv Ullmann and the French Deneuve and Noiret are dubbed into Italian and it took me awhile to get used to the dubbed voices. A simple story that moves amiably along until its strong climax. With Stefania Sandrelli, Bernard Blier (also French), Giuliano Gemma, Giuliana De Sio and Athina Cenci.