The Innocents of Florence

LOGLINE:

When art restorers in Florence begin work on a 600-year-old painting, they lead the journey to uncover the story of the city's forgotten children, and the women who saved them.

It’s 1410 and there is a huge social problem in Florence. Babies are abandoned and dying at an alarming rate. To solve the problem Florentines organise and build a hospice for babies to assist young mothers. To celebrate the completion of the new building in 1446, they commission a painting to act as their poster, logo and symbol for the Institute.

Flash forward 600 years to 2013, the very same painting sits in a museum within the original building. Two women, an American and an Italian, are tasked with the restoration of the work due to be displayed after a renovation and reopening of the museum.

The catalyst for this film is the painting. Over the course of 30 months the painting is meticulously restored and new mysteries about her origins are discovered. The collective stories behind this painting are many because the Institute it represents is still in operation and has a rich and diverse history.