A Brief Vacation
A Brief Vacation (Italian: Una breve vacanza) is a 1973 Italian melodrama directed by Vittorio de Sica. The script, written by Cesare Zavattini, was inspired by an Apollinaire adage ("Sickness is the vacation of the poor").
Synopsis
The film concerns a female factory worker from Calabria who falls ill on the job and is prescribed a stay at a mountain retreat. She goes despite her husband's wishes, leaving behind her thankless work shift and her frustrating in-laws, but also her three children. The film addresses issues such as the health care system, labor conditions, spousal satisfaction, and class struggle.
Cast
Florinda Bolkan - Clara Mataro
Renato Salvatori - Franco Mataro, the husband
Daniel Quenaud - Luigi, Clara's lover
José María Prada - Dr. Ciranni
Teresa Gimpera - Gina
Hugo Blanco - Brother-in-law
Julia Peña - Edvige
Miranda Campa - Nurse Guidotti
Angela Cardile - La Rossa, the redhead
Anna Carena - Mother-in-law
Monica Guerritore - Maria
Maria Mizar - Nurse Garin