Women in Italian Cinema

Moving chronologically from the silent cinema era to the present, this essay provides an overview of the largely neglected contributions women have made to Italian cinema, primarily as directors but also in other roles that have influenced the representation of women on the Italian screen. It considers the range of filmic forms (from documentary to experimental cinema to feature films), strategies, and practices in which women filmmakers have engaged, as well as the critical and industry challenges they have faced in getting their films made and distributed.