Moriano: A Legacy of Freedom

Moriano: A Legacy of Freedom
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Camla Sosa
Written by
Produced by	Clara Martins Otávia Rebelo
Starring
Cinematography	Lucília Mendez
Edited by	Teresinha Barreto
Music by	Lygia Furtado
Release dates	July 5, 2021 (2021-07-05) (Vitosium)
Running time	165 minutes
Country	Vitosium
Language	English

Moriano: A Legacy of Freedom is a 2021 Vitosian documentary directed by Camla Sosa. The documentary tells the story of Margaret Jane Moriano and her journey to becoming the first female Prime Minister, as well as her impact on women's rights in the nation.

Synopsis

Margaret Jane Moriano was born on May 2nd, 1922 in the town of Gerapetra, Amozelo. Her father, Lawrence Barrett, was the owner of an oil factory while her mother, Sally Barrett, was a waitress at a local diner. Sally would tell a young Maggie a fantastic lullaby every night to help keep her motivated. Despite the happy marriage Sally would present to young Maggie, who is an only child, she would write her true feelings in her diary every night about feeling trapped with Lawrence and wanting to raise Maggie right. When Maggie turned ten, things changed and her parents would openly argue in front of her with Sally accusing Lawrence of misogyny and having no respect to her or other women.

"Home was barely home to me anymore," Moriano says in an interview for the documentary. "Lawrence and my mom would fight almost every night. There were some nights that he would beat her."

In 1934, when Maggie was 12, a drunken Lawrence attempted to kill Sally one night. She would take Maggie with her and head to her sister's place across town. Staying with Aunt Sandra brought a period of peace, at least for young Maggie, as her mom filed for divorce and brought his murder attempt to court. Lawrence was arrested and the divorce was finalized, allowing Sally to have a new start in life. She told Maggie to never let any man walk all over her and to always stand up for herself.

"That is when I started to advocate for women's rights," stated Moriano. "A waitress named Nadia Branco began to organize a women's rights march and that is when I knew that I could help change the world. I participated under 'Maggie Moriano' so I wasn't associated with Lawrence."

Nadia loved young Maggie's energy, leading the former waitress to meet Sally Moriano, who had recently changed her name back. Together, they participated in the march and many times a year, the three of them would organize marches, although the government would never give in to their demands. In 1942, when she was 20, she gave a now-famous televised speech in front of congress.

"You all know me as Maggie Moriano. I was born Margaret Jane Barrett to an amazing mother and a deadbeat criminal "father". Lawrence Albert Barrett was arrested for trying to kill my mom, Sally Moriano. For years, I watched them fight and, for years, I watched him beat her until that fateful day. I choose to fight so that men like him no longer dictate OUR lives. Men like him should not have a say in how WE should live our lives."

"I was so angry that day," Moriano told the cameras in another interview for the documentary. "The government didn't do a single thing to help and, as time went by, our voices grew louder as a result. It wasn't until two years after that speech when I met Sherman Salantino."

Sherman Salantino, a senator, famously joined one of Moriano's marches for women's rights. Despite being a man, he also wished for the betterment of women. This led the two to a growing friendship and, eventually, a relationship. The relationship was only brief, though, and they decided to remain friends. It was around this time that he introduced a friend of his to her, Senator Maxwell Douglas Tellend. In 1947, Salantino announced that he was running for Prime Minister and only one year later, he surprised the nation by announcing his Deputy Prime Minister would be ... Maggie Moriano.

"I remember the night he asked me," Moriano reminisced. "He called me to his office and said, 'Maggie, I want to help the women of this great nation in any way that I can. That is why I want you to become my Deputy in this'. I was shocked and didn't know how to react. Three days later, I told him that I wanted to be Deputy so badly and that is when he made the announcement."

There was outrage among some parts of the country due to this. While women have been allowed to vote for twenty years, no woman tried to lead the country due to the onslaught of men ready to discourage their efforts. That was, until Maggie Moriano proudly represented the women in the beginning of her political career.