Factual

Sky Arte will premiere on February 13, Elvira Notari. Oltre il silenzio, a feature documentary that brings back to light the story and artistic legacy of Elvira Notari, the first female director in Italian cinema and one of the earliest independent producers of the silent era. The documentary, directed by Valerio Ciriaci and produced by Antonella Di Nocera, was presented in competition in the Classici e documentari per il cinema section at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival and has been shortlisted for Best Documentary at the David di Donatello 2026.

Through archival materials, film fragments and contemporary artistic reinterpretations, the documentary reconstructs the career of the filmmaker who, together with her husband Nicola, founded the Naples-based Dora Film in the early 1900s. Writing and directing her own productions, Notari drew inspiration from Neapolitan songs and popular culture to create stories of family drama, jealousy and passion, interwoven with authentic street footage portraying everyday life in the city—an approach that anticipated elements of Italian neorealism.

Her films featured unconventional female characters and a raw representation of social reality. However, from the mid-1920s, fascist censorship increasingly restricted her activity, discouraging regional themes and depictions of poverty. Dora Film survived by distributing its productions within Italian communities in the United States and by producing short documentaries for emigrant audiences.

In 1930, Notari withdrew from filmmaking and lived in isolation until her death in 1946. After decades of neglect and the loss of most of her filmography—today only a handful of works and fragments survive—her contribution was rediscovered in the 1970s and is now being reinterpreted through contemporary perspectives.
Featuring contributions from writer Flavia Amabile, photographer Cristina Vatielli, actress Teresa Saponangelo and artist Francesca Consonni, the documentary positions Notari not only as a historical pioneer, but as a creative figure whose work continues to inspire new generations.