‘Elvira Notari: Beyond Silence’ About Italy’s First Female Film Director Acquired by First Hand Films Ahead of Venice Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)

Switzerland-based distributor First Hand Films has taken world sales on “Elvira Notari: Beyond Silence,” which reconstructs the overlooked story of Italy’s first female director, ahead of the documentary’s world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

The doc, which is directed by Valerio Ciriaci and launches in the Venice Classics section, blends rare films and photographs from Italy’s Cineteca Nazionale film archives and the Cineteca di Bologna, known globally as a prime film preservation entity, with the voices of contemporary artists and academics.

Between 1906 and 1930, Notari created more than 60 feature films that blended melodrama with raw depictions of Naples’ street life. These pioneering works captivated audiences from Naples all the way to “Little Italy” communities across the U.S. Then, under strain from fascist censorship and family turmoil, Notari withdrew from filmmaking.

Only three films and some fragments of her work are left today. “She slipped into silence and most of her work was lost,” Ciriaci said in his directors’ statement, adding: “Today, 150 years after her birth, Elvira returns to center stage thanks to the efforts of scholars reclaiming her place in history.”

“Elvira Notari: Beyond Silence” is produced by Naples-based Antonella Di Nocera and co-produced by Isaak Liptzin and Valerio Ciriaci. The doc is edited by Francesca Sofia Allegra with cinematography by Isaak Liptzin and features an original score by Silvia Cignoli.

“From Naples to the world, Elvira’s legacy as a silent cinema pioneer carries an urgency born of everyday life, of voices once overlooked,” Di Nocera said in a statement. “This film is our way of restoring her to history and showing why her vision matters now.”

Commented First Hand Films chief Esther van Messel: “A new and innovative way of celebrating women in the arts has us enthusiastically joining the fantastic team in place.” First Hand is known as a distributor that defends diversity, minorities, female voices and new talent.