Le Pupille
Le Pupille
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Watch-outs
What this film brings
Content barometer
Violence
1/5
Mild
Fear
1/5
Mild
Sexuality
1/5
Allusions
Language
0/5
None
Narrative complexity
0/5
Simple
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
Le Pupille is a Christmas short set in a strict Catholic boarding school for girls during World War II, with a tone that blends warmth, austerity, and gentle melancholy. The main sensitive elements involve harsh discipline, the humiliation of an isolated child, a degrading punishment involving soap, and a wartime background marked by scarcity and anxiety. The overall intensity is mild to moderate, with no graphic violence or truly frightening scenes, but the emotional realism of adult unfairness may upset younger children more than the plot itself. At age 4, many children are unlikely to stay engaged and may find the social exclusion confusing or distressing, while children around 7 and up are more likely to follow the emotional stakes with support. Parents may want to frame the story in advance as one about unfair rules, loneliness, and belonging, then talk afterward about kindness, authority, and why the adults' choices are not always good examples.
Synopsis
During WWII, in the days leading up to Christmas, a woman arrives at an Italian Catholic boarding school for orphaned girls with a large cake and a plea for them to pray for her boyfriend, who is having an affair.
Difficult scenes
Early on, Serafina is clearly treated as an outsider by the other girls and with little warmth by the nuns. This repeated social rejection may affect children who are sensitive to exclusion, even though the scenes stay quiet and nonviolent. After music suddenly comes on the radio, the girls sing and dance, and the Mother Superior punishes them by washing their mouths with soap. The moment is not graphic, but it does depict humiliation and harsh discipline directed at children, which may upset younger viewers. The story takes place during wartime, and the adults refer to hunger, lack of money, and loved ones who are absent or in danger. These details remain in the background, but they give the film a real sadness and a heavier emotional frame than a simple holiday tale. A woman asks for prayers for her lover who is cheating on her, introducing an adult relationship problem into the story. Nothing sexual is shown or discussed in detail, but some parents may prefer to explain it simply as jealousy and unfaithfulness between adults. The Mother Superior pressures the girls to give up cake in the name of sacrifice and goodness. This moral manipulation, along with Serafina being labeled a bad child, may be unsettling for young viewers who tend to take adult words very literally.
Where to watch
No verified platform for the US market yet. We keep this section updated as availability changes.
Availability checked on Apr 01, 2026
About this title
- Format
- Short film
- Year
- 2022
- Runtime
- 39m
- Countries
- Italy, United Kingdom
- Original language
- IT
- Studios
- Tempesta, Esperanto Filmoj
Content barometer
Violence
1/5
Mild
Fear
1/5
Mild
Sexuality
1/5
Allusions
Language
0/5
None
Narrative complexity
0/5
Simple
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
Le Pupille is a Christmas short set in a strict Catholic boarding school for girls during World War II, with a tone that blends warmth, austerity, and gentle melancholy. The main sensitive elements involve harsh discipline, the humiliation of an isolated child, a degrading punishment involving soap, and a wartime background marked by scarcity and anxiety. The overall intensity is mild to moderate, with no graphic violence or truly frightening scenes, but the emotional realism of adult unfairness may upset younger children more than the plot itself. At age 4, many children are unlikely to stay engaged and may find the social exclusion confusing or distressing, while children around 7 and up are more likely to follow the emotional stakes with support. Parents may want to frame the story in advance as one about unfair rules, loneliness, and belonging, then talk afterward about kindness, authority, and why the adults' choices are not always good examples.
Synopsis
During WWII, in the days leading up to Christmas, a woman arrives at an Italian Catholic boarding school for orphaned girls with a large cake and a plea for them to pray for her boyfriend, who is having an affair.
Difficult scenes
Early on, Serafina is clearly treated as an outsider by the other girls and with little warmth by the nuns. This repeated social rejection may affect children who are sensitive to exclusion, even though the scenes stay quiet and nonviolent. After music suddenly comes on the radio, the girls sing and dance, and the Mother Superior punishes them by washing their mouths with soap. The moment is not graphic, but it does depict humiliation and harsh discipline directed at children, which may upset younger viewers. The story takes place during wartime, and the adults refer to hunger, lack of money, and loved ones who are absent or in danger. These details remain in the background, but they give the film a real sadness and a heavier emotional frame than a simple holiday tale. A woman asks for prayers for her lover who is cheating on her, introducing an adult relationship problem into the story. Nothing sexual is shown or discussed in detail, but some parents may prefer to explain it simply as jealousy and unfaithfulness between adults. The Mother Superior pressures the girls to give up cake in the name of sacrifice and goodness. This moral manipulation, along with Serafina being labeled a bad child, may be unsettling for young viewers who tend to take adult words very literally.