The Divine Order

"Set in 1971 in a remote Swiss town, The Divine Order follows housewife Nora as she undergoes a feminist awakening, and sets about trying topple the patriarchy. Or at least, help get women the right to vote. As the film points out, New Zealand had already changed its laws, so why hadn’t Switzerland?"

"Though the film’s feel-good construction undercuts its ability to surprise, Petra Volpe’s cine-history lesson remains a mainstream crowd-pleaser adept at inspiring and amusing in equal measure."

"If the story beats are familiar, writer/director Petra Biondina Volpe elevates them with an unerring focus on character, while the excellent ensemble deliver a genuine sense of sisterhood."

""The Divine Order" effectively illustrates how peer pressure can influence the political process."

"[A] good-humoured comedy-drama..."

"With German actress Leuenberger an appealing lead and good humour abounding, there's a lot to like about this Order."

"Within the story's sometimes too-neat outline, Volpe lets most of her characters breathe."

"An entertaining if also largely predictable story of an individual swept up in the tide of history."

"Overall its shortcomings are ably papered over by the zeitgeist button-pushing…"