Elvira Notari facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elvira Notari
|
|
|---|---|
Elvira and Nicola Notari
|
|
| Born |
Elvira Coda
February 10, 1875 |
| Died | December 17, 1946 (aged 71) Cava de' Tirreni, Italy
|
| Nationality | Italian |
| Occupation | filmmaker |
Elvira Notari (born February 10, 1875, in Salerno – died December 17, 1946, in Cava de' Tirreni, Italy) was a groundbreaking filmmaker. She was Italy's first and most active female director. Elvira Notari made over sixty feature films and about one hundred short films and documentaries. She often wrote the stories and screenplays herself, finding inspiration in the city of Naples. A special award, the Elvira Notari Prize, is named after her.
Born Elvira Coda, she came from a regular family. She married Nicola Notari. Together, they started their own film company called Dora Film. This made her the first Italian woman to create a family-run film production company. Elvira directed the movies, while Nicola worked as the cameraman. Their son, Eduardo, also known as 'Gennariello' (a character he played), acted in many of their films. Eduardo even nicknamed his mother "The General" because of her strong will and determination in running the film company. For example, she insisted that actors' tears on screen had to be real. She wanted them to think of something truly sad from their own lives, instead of using fake tears made from glycerin.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Elvira was born to Diego Coda and Agnese Vignes. It was unusual for girls at the time, but Elvira was allowed to go to school. She studied literature and science, and also enjoyed dancing. Her time in school helped her become very good at using language, which showed in her writing.
In 1902, after finishing school, Elvira and her family moved to Naples. She worked as a "milliner," someone who makes and sells hats. She continued this job even after she became a filmmaker. In August 1902, she met and married Nicola Notari. They had three children: Eduardo, Dora, and Maria.
Building a Film Career
Elvira and her husband started their film production company. After trying a few different names, they decided on Dora Films. This name honored their daughter, Dora, though Dora herself never worked in the business.
Dora Films began small in 1905 as a simple photography lab. The company became known for its unique, hand-colored film titles called Cinecittà. These titles were used to show previews of upcoming events and attractions. It wasn't until 1912 that Dora Film built a proper stage set, or teatro di posa. This allowed them to become a full film production studio.
Elvira directed and wrote the films, while her husband, Nicola, operated the camera. She is recognized as the first woman film director in Italy. Sadly, most of the films made by Dora Films have been lost over time, with only a few records remaining. Dora Films was a complete production company. It had everything needed to make movies, including editing rooms and labs. They even had live music and songs played along with the films. Sometimes the films were hand-colored, making them an early form of multimedia entertainment.
By the 1920s, the Notari's films faced challenges in Italy. Even though Dora Films was one of the most successful Italian film companies, their movies were often not allowed to be shown widely in their home country. Because of this, they began distributing their films in the American market. Dora Films even opened an office in New York, in the area known as Little Italy. Their films helped bring Italian immigrants together and taught others about Italian culture.
Dora Films also had an acting school. Elvira produced many documentaries and short films there. Her son said that Elvira always demanded real and honest performances from her actors. The films made at Dora Films often showed life in Italy from a woman's point of view. Elvira would sometimes remind her actors of sad moments in their own lives to help them show true emotion. This approach was similar to a later film style called "neorealism." Elvira helped with the acting school and was a scriptwriter. It's also believed she worked on editing the films.
Elvira Notari often used ideas from women's stories for her films. In her "melodramas" (dramatic films), she focused on the female experience. Elvira liked to show strong female characters who were different from what was expected. Her films explored women's feelings and dreams. For example, in her movies Nfama! and A Piedigrotta, the main female characters are shown as independent women. These films explored the challenges these women faced.
Filming Style and Themes
Elvira Notari's feature films often told dramatic stories about everyday life in Naples, especially focusing on middle-class women. By the early 1920s, Notari started using a style called sceneggiata. This was a mix of popular dramatic songs and stage shows. She filmed on the streets of Naples, using regular people as actors instead of professionals.
These non-professional actors made her films feel very real. Elvira used the streets as her natural stage, filled with real lights, crowds, and sounds. She didn't always film in a studio. Notari called her passionate dramas grandi lavori popolari, which means "great popular works." Her realistic style is thought to have influenced the later Italian neorealism film movement.
Elvira Notari's films often showed windows and the city itself as very important. Her way of filming on location highlighted the city's role. The city and its windows helped show both public and private stories. Men were often seen in public spaces, while women were usually in homes. However, Notari often showed women in public spaces too, though they were usually surrounded by men.
Challenges and Later Life
Dora Films faced challenges from censorship in Italy. Some people thought the films showed parts of Italian life that were not suitable for the screen. The movies sometimes used strong language, which tested the rules of censorship. Often, censors asked for scenes to be edited or removed.
Elvira Notari's film company eventually declined. This was partly due to new government rules and the rise of sound in films. Her film Napoli terra d’amore (1928), which used a soundtrack instead of live singers, was not popular with her audience. She had a small success with her film Trionfo cristiano (1930), which focused on religious themes.
In 2007-2008, Notari’s film A Santanotte (1922) was restored. During this process, titles were put back into the film that explained why certain scenes had been cut. These cut scenes included things like physical actions and drinking. These types of scenes also caused problems for Notari with censorship in the United States, even though her films were successful there.
Dora Films closed in 1930. Elvira and her husband continued to work in the film industry through the 1930s. The arrival of sound in movies and increasing censorship led to the end of Dora Films. It's also possible that Elvira didn't want to move to Rome, which was becoming a requirement for Italian filmmakers due to government decisions.
Elvira moved to Cava de ‘Tirreni, near Salerno, where she retired. She passed away on December 17, 1946. After their film company closed, the Notaris opened a store selling photography equipment. Later, her husband became a film distributor.
See also
In Spanish: Elvira Notari para niños
