The Women’s Film and Television History Network (WFTHN) presents two special screenings of Elvira Notari: Beyond Silence / Oltre il Silenzio (Valerio Ciriaci, 2025, 90 mins) this May, in collaboration with the film’s producers, at the University of Sussex and Birkbeck Institute of the Moving Image (BIMI).
A pioneer of Neapolitan silent cinema, Elvira Notari created around 60 feature films blending melodrama with vivid depictions of urban life, reaching audiences from Naples to the Little Italies of America. Curtailed by Fascist censorship, much of her work was lost. Marking 150 years since her birth, this documentary reclaims Notari’s legacy and restores her to film history.
Watch the trailer here
University of Sussex: Wednesday 6 May, 2–4pm, Fulton Lecture Theatre A, with online Q&A featuring director Valerio Ciriaci and producer Antonella Di Nocera. To book, email Lizzie Thynne: l.thynne@sussex.ac.uk
Birkbeck Institute of the Moving Image: Friday 8 May, 6–8.30pm, followed by a Q&A with director Valerio Ciriaci, producer Antonella Di Nocera, and editor Francesca Sofia Allegra. Book here: https://www.bbk.ac.uk/events/event/61553/elvira-notari-beyond-the-silence
For more information and booking for other upcoming screenings as part of the film’s wider UK tour, please see: https://awenfilms.net/Elvira-Notari-Screenings
WFTHN 