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

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