FILMS

This is the inspiring story of Elisabeth Eidenbenz, the director of the Elne maternity home located in the south of France, on the Spanish border. Throughout the 1930s and 40s, Elne provided refuge for pregnant women fleeing both the Spanish Civil War and Vichy refugee camps, allowing them to give birth in proper conditions and source jobs that would secure a safe future for them. When Petain’s fascist regime tries to close the home in 1942, Eidenbenz and her staff bravely put their own lives in danger to avoid closure. Based on a true story, this film is in Spanish, with subtitles.

Recommended for grades 9-12.

Length: 96 minutes

Subthemes: the power of one person to make a change, heroism, perseverance, survival, strong women