Vanilla and Chocolate

Vanilla and Chocolate (Italian: Vaniglia e cioccolato) is a 2004 Italian romantic drama directed by Ciro Ippolito, with a screenplay co-written by Franco Ferrini and Ippolito. Adapted from Sveva Casati Modigliani's novel of the same name, the film was produced by Cecchi Gori Group.

The story centers on Penelope (Maria Grazia Cucinotta), a loyal wife and mother of three. Her husband Andrea (Alessandro Preziosi) is inattentive and unfaithful, always hiding behind his work; when his affairs become too much to bear, Penelope leaves home and takes refuge in the house of her grandmother Diomira (Serra Yılmaz), embarking on a journey into her own past. Left alone with the children, Andrea discovers how hard fatherhood really is, and his pleas for her return go unanswered—compounded by the revelation of Penelope's past affair with the painter Carlos (Joaquín Cortés). As the separation takes its toll on the children, the couple is forced to reckon with their history and learn to accept one another as they truly are.