The Woman’s Greatest Value Is Her Silence
The story of a young migrant woman from southern Italy who travels to Frankfurt in search of a better life, told through an extraordinary blend of documentary, fiction and re-enactment. With tenderness, irony and a keen awareness of women’s experience, the film transforms a seemingly private story into a powerful reflection on uprooting, dependency and the search for a place of one’s own.
Maria, a young migrant from southern Italy, recounts her exile in Frankfurt with Giacomo, whom she married against her parents’ wishes in the hope of a better life. To avoid breaking the code of silence that prevails in her region of origin, other protagonists, themselves immigrants, interpret her story on camera.
What was originally intended to be a documentary portrait has turned into a hybrid work, both ambiguous and funny, straddling reality and fiction, minor and major history. By embellishing her narrative with re-enactments, where events from Maria’s life intertwine with those of the non professional actors, Pinkus tackles an even broader theme: that of uprooting, integration and resignation among immigrant populations. The form of the film uses realistic and observational sequences in the streets, the station and supermarkets as well as takes in a subtle mise en scène that illustrates the imaginary of Maria.
The film will be screened together with Battlefield.
Gertrud Pinkus
Gertrud Pinkus (b. 1944) is a Swiss filmmaker and artist whose work explores migration, identity, and social change. She began filmmaking in 1971 and gained international recognition with The Woman’s Greatest Value Is Her Silence (1980), which won the German Film Award and Zurich Film Award. Her films combine documentary and fiction, and her interdisciplinary practice spans cinema, video installation, and collaborative art projects.
Reżyseria: Gertrud Pinkus
