Going into 2023, Netflix's never-ending train of original film/series projects that taps into nearly every known genre shows no sign of slowing down. Among the list of upcoming titles is a new historical period drama series titled The Law According to Lidia Poët, which is set to premiere very soon on the streaming platform. According to a report from Collider, along with new promotional photos, Netflix released a teaser trailer for the series, giving a firsthand look at Lidia Poët's life.
The Law According to Lidia Poët is to be a six-episode series set back in the 19th century, when it was far more difficult to pursue a dream you're well-qualified for depending on your race, gender, or social class. In this case, a young Italian woman named Lidia Poët fights for her right to become the first female lawyer ever in the country of Italy. As the trailer above shows, Lidia faces all manner of blowback over her choice to pursue such a job that's overwhelmingly male-dominated like many others. Her colleagues and her family all attempt to dissuade her, to no avail.
One woman affectionately tells her “If God wanted you to be a lawyer, you wouldn’t be a woman.” The court also forbids her from it, putting every possible odd against her, but Poët plans an appeal to overturn the court's decision. At the same time she sets out to solve various murders to prove her skills and competence to the court, using new identification techniques such as fingerprinting, which baffles her male counterparts. Poët's choices set off a chain reaction that will help change the course of public rights for women not just in Italy, but around the world. No matter the odds, Lidia insists "We could lose, but at least try to fight.”
The six-part series, which is entirely in Italian, stars Matilda De Angelis as Lidia Poët, Nicolo Passetti as Lous, and Sara Lazzaro as Teresa Barbaris. It's set to premiere on Netflix on February 15th.
Who Lidia Poët Was and the Continued Importance of Cinematic Representation
The real Lidia Poët was in fact the first modern female Italian advocate, a woman who pushed relentlessly not only for her personal rights as a lawyer, but for the rights of women everywhere to pursue their desired occupation and close the gap towards gender equality. Her disbarring ultimately led to a movement to finally allow women to practice law and hold public office in Italy. The inclusion of her story as a visually engaging and far-reaching Netflix original series is as crucial as any series or film that puts a much-deserved spotlight on historical figures who otherwise would remain obscured.
Streaming platforms like Netflix have especially been contributing heartily in this regard, with films like My Best Friend Anne Frank (2021), A Call to Spy (2019), Colette (2018), and Mudbound (2017), just to name a few. With a virtually bottomless creative and financial budget, Netflix will no doubt continue to helm many more stories like Lidia Poët's that all deserve the cinematic treatment and need to be told now more than ever.