Women behind the camera: An overview of Italian women filmmakers in the last decades, with an interview with Sicilian director Costanza Quatriglio

Abstract

The recent history of Italian cinema includes several women directors who have contributed to the diversity and variety indispensable in any artistic discipline. However, these directors have received relatively little public recognition and the distribution of their films has been limited. The fact that production by women remains relatively unknown implies that there is only partial knowledge of contemporary Italian cinema. Therefore, this article attempts to highlight this lesser known part of this industry through the analysis of the main Italian women filmmakers of the last two decades, their common universe and individual peculiarities. An interview with director Costanza Quatriglio is also included as an epilogue. She sets out the keys to her work and offers a previously unpublished reflection on the current state of Italian film and the role of women directors in it.