ELVIRA NOTARI: BEYOND SILENCE
In production | 85’ | Italy/USA
"Elvira Notari: Beyond Silence" is a feature documentary chronicling the life and work of Elvira Notari (1875-1946), Italy's first woman film director. Despite directing hundreds of silent films that captivated from Naples to New York, Elvira was relegated to the margins of film history for half a century. Her films, poised between realism and staged drama, were deeply rooted in Neapolitan folklore. A woman in a man’s world, her works were targeted by Fascist censorship yet found the embrace of audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. The documentary interweaves voices of those who celebrate her legacy today – from the experts who rediscovered her films to contemporary artists reimagining her vision through new works – to resurrect Elvira’s singular vision. More than a biography, "Elvira Notari: Beyond Silence" is a prismatic portrait of an artist who continues to inspire new creative pathways.
Awen Films in co-production with Parallelo 41 Produzioni and Cinecittà, and support from the Italian Ministry of Culture, Film Commission Regione Campania and Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò at NYU.
PRESENTED AT
Visioni Incontra
San Sebastian Lau Haizetara Documentary Co-production Forum
Visioni Incontra
San Sebastian Lau Haizetara Documentary Co-production Forum
TEAM
Director: Valerio Ciriaci
Producer (Parallelo 41): Antonella Di Nocera
Producers (Awen Films): Isaak Liptzin, Mila Tenaglia
Cinematographer: Isaak Liptzin
Editor: Francesca Sofia Allegra
Associate Editor: Giovanni Pompetti
Music: Silvia Cignoli
Archival Researcher: Marianna Paladini