Elvira Notari. Oltre il silenzio

The documentary traces the story of Italy’s first woman director and the long journey that brought her back into view after decades of neglect.
A leading figure in the golden age of Neapolitan silent cinema, Elvira Notari created some sixty feature films that, weaving the passions of popular drama with unflinching depictions of urban life, captivated audiences from Naples to the Little Italies of America. With the advent of sound and undermined by Fascist censorship, she withdrew from filmmaking in 1930.
Her name faded into silence and much of her work was lost. Today, 150 years after her birth, Elvira Notari returns to the spotlight through the efforts of scholars and artists who are reclaiming her legacy and reimagining it in new forms.

From the start, what struck me most about Elvira Notari’s legacy were the silences surrounding her story. Beyond three surviving films and scattered fragments, almost no direct testimony remains: no letters, no diaries, only a few elusive photographs through which we can glimpse the woman behind the artist and entrepreneur.
Yet a rediscovery of her work, begun in the 1970s in academic circles, has grown into a broader reassessment of her historical and artistic significance. Scholars, artists, and researchers are reclaiming the very qualities that once relegated her to the margins, turning the gaps in her story into a source for new interpretations and works.
Our film is part of this revival, with the hope of finally giving Elvira Notari the recognition she deserves and that was denied her for far too long.

PRODUCTION 1:
Parallelo 41 produzioni - Antonella Di Nocera
Corso Umberto I, 228
80138 Napoli, Italia
Tel: +39 3355826163
E-mail: antodinocera@gmail.com
Web: http://www.parallelo41produzioni.com
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/parallelo41produzioni - Facebook, @parallelo41produzioni - Instagram

PRODUCTION 2:
Awen Films - Isaak Liptzin, Valerio Ciriaci
236 W 27th Street
10001 New York, United States of America
Tel: +1 9175046879
E-mail: isaak@awenfilms.net
Web: http://awenfilms.net
Social Media: @awenfilms - Instagram, https://www.facebook.com/AwenFilms - Facebook

PRODUCTION 3:
Cinecittà – Enrico Bufalini
Via Tuscolana, 1055
00173 Roma, Italia
Tel: +39 06722861
E-mail: e.bufalini@cinecitta.it
Web: http://cinecitta.com/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/cinecitta - Facebook, @cinecitta_official - Instagram

WORLD SALES:
First Hand Films - Esther van Messel
Neunbrunnenstrasse 50
8050 Zürich, Switzerland
Tel: +41 44 312 2060
E-mail: sales@firsthandfilms.com
Web: https://www.firsthandfilms.com
Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/firsthandfilms_official - Instagram,
https://www.facebook.com/FirstHandFilms - Facebook

ITALIAN DISTRIBUTION:
Luce Cinecittà - Enrico Bufalini
Via Tuscolana 1055
00173 Roma, Italia
Tel: +39 06 722 861
E-mail: e.bufalini@cinecitta.it
Web: https://cinecitta.com

ITALIAN PRESS OFFICE:
Gabriele Barcaro
Via Germanico, 172
00192 Roma, Italia
Tel: +39 3405538425
E-mail: gabriele.barcaro@gmail.com