Elvira Notari: Beyond Silence - Documentary Screening and Q&A with Director Valerio Ciriaci

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 audiences 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.

Select recognitions: Official Selection - Venice Classics at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival (World Premiere); Best Documentary, Globo d’Oro 2026; Shortlisted Best Documentary, David di Donatello 2026; Finalist – Documentary on Cinema, Performing Arts & Culture, Nastri d’Argento 2026.

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.

Valerio Ciriaci - director

Originally from Rome, Valerio 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.

The event is co-organized and co-sponsored by NICELinks to an external site. (New Italian Cinema Events) and the Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies. (Italian Program, Global Cultural Studies Department, College of the Humanities and Social Sciences), and the Animation, Film and Television program, College of Communication and Media).