Darkened Cinema of Elvira Notari

Abstract

In recent years, a process of historical revision (by way of re-evaluating archival materials) has uncovered the stories of silent cinema’s women pioneers, whose legacies and contributions had previously gone uncredited. Amongst these figures is Elvira Notari, Italy’s first woman director and production company founder. Her taking on of different roles led to a rich production catalogue of which only a few traces remain. In examining the features and contexts of Notari’s cinema, and the causes for its subsequent neglect, this paper argues for her central importance in Italian cinema as a director and considers how her omission from the archives can be addressed.