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Special screening and discussion of the documentary film:"Elvira Notari: Beyond Silence" ("Elivira Notari: Oltre il silenzio")
(Valerio Ciriaci, 2025, 90 min, Italy-USA, Italian w/ English Subtitles, DCP)
-- Introduced by Tania Rispoli (Romance Studies); Discussion to follow with filmmaker Valerio Ciriaci, in conversation with Tom Whiteside (Director of Durham Cinematheque) and Prof. Roberto Dainotto (Professor of Literature).
"Elvira Notari: Beyond Silence" is a feature documentary chronicling the life and work of Elvira Notari (1875-1946), Italy's first woman film director. From her studio in Naples, Dora Film, she wrote, directed and produced dozens of feature films in the 1910s and 1920s: popular melodramas shot in the streets of the city and deeply rooted in Neapolitan folklore, with a realism that anticipated later Italian cinema. Most of her work has been lost, and her name was nearly erased from film history.
Ciriaci's film, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, follows the traces she left behind and asks what it means to recover a filmmaker from silence. 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.
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Director's Statement:
I was struck by how she had been pushed to the margins—first by the Fascist regime’s censorship and later by historical neglect. My search eventually led me to Naples, where I met producer Antonella Di Nocera, who had long envisioned a film that would finally give Elvira the recognition she deserved. That meeting sparked a transatlantic collaboration to piece together the scattered fragments of her life across distant archives, continents, and historical periods.
Along the way, we realized we weren’t alone in this search. The very elements that once led to her silencing—her position as a woman in a male-dominated industry, her outsider approach to filmmaking, and her connection to street life and the migrant experience—resonate powerfully in today's cultural landscape. Contemporary artists are now reengaging with Elvira’s legacy, reimagining her stories across multiple disciplines. These voices revealed the gaps in her story not to be limitations, but opportunities for creative reinvention and expansion.
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ABOUT THE FILMMAKER:
Originally from Rome, Valerio Ciriaci moved to New York in 2011 to attend courses at New York Film Academy. In 2013 he co-founded Awen Films, a production company specializing in independent documentaries with a focus on transnational and historical topics.
As director, his filmography highlights include "If Only I Were That Warrior" (Globo d’Oro 2016, aired on Rai Storia); "Mister Wonderland" (‘Il Cinemino’ prize at Festival dei Popoli, aired on Rai, and PBS); and "Stonebreakers" (Honorable Mention, Audience Award, and the ‘Imperdibili’ prize at Festival dei Popoli), which has been screened over 100 times at leading cinemas and international cultural institutions. His latest feature, "Elvira Notari: Beyond Silence", premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival in the Classics section and won the 2026 Globo d’Oro for Best Documentary.
Filmography
2015, "If Only I Were That Warrior" [72’]
2019, "Mister Wonderland" [53’]
2022, "Stonebreakers" [70’]
2025, "Elvira Notari. Oltre il silenzio" [90’]
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Sponsored by the Dept. of Romance Studies, Italian Language Program, Duke Cinematic Arts, Duke Center for Documentary Studies (CDS), Franklin Humanities Institute, Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies, Dept. of History, and Program in Literature.
Event URL: https://cinematicarts.duke.edu/screensociety/screenings/elvira-notari-beyond-silence-2025-panel-discussion-w-dir-valerio-ciriaci
View Trailer:
Awen Films website: https://awenfilms.net
Screen/Society screenings are free and open to the public.
Parking Info: https://artscenter.duke.edu/parking
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Event venue
Rubenstein Arts Center at Duke University, 2022 Campus Dr, Durham, NC 27708-9940, United States
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