Divided into four parts: “The Mothers of the 1900s”, “Women between the past and the future”, “Penelope goes to war”, “Nobody can judge them”, Simply Beautiful is neither a survey nor a documentary, but an attempt to narrate through images the long journey that women have made in Italy during the last century. Historical recordings and documents from the “Istituto Luce” archives, film clips, popular songs and interviews are the materials that make up the fabric of this great feminine adventure that has redrawn the image of women and their role in the family and society over a period of a hundred years. The film lets the historical events slide by and chooses from among them a female figure – known or unknown – who, step by step, tells us about the slow changes in the roles and identities of Italian women. The plot of the film consists of the contributions of many female voices in a choral counterpoint, that have permeated the century with their protests, renunciations, heroism, hopes and expectations.