"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.

A Parallelo 41 Produzioni and Awen Films co-production with Cinecittà. With support from the Italian Ministry of Culture, Film Commission Regione Campania, City of Naples, in collaboration with Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò at NYU and Archivio Audiovisivo del movimento operaio e democratico.