Sicilian photographer Letizia Battaglia became the first woman photographer in Italy to work for a daily paper when she was hired in the ’70s. Three days after she started, she saw her first murder. A new trailer has dropped for “Shooting the Mafia,” Kim Longinotto’s documentary about the trailblazing photojournalist.
Battaglia began taking photos at the age of 40. “It was the start of a love story,” she explains in the spot. At first, she didn’t think about the Mafia. But then she couldn’t ignore their presence. “We’d never seen violence like it,” she recalls, detailing upwards of five murders a day. Despite receiving death threats, Battaglia documented the Mafia’s crimes. “We mustn’t be ruled by fear. I feel free because I’m free inside,” she insists.
“I love telling stories of survivors and of rebels,” Longinotto told us. “Letizia challenged everything: her society’s culture, her expected role in society, and the Mafia themselves.”
“Dreamcatcher,” “Salma,” and “Gaea Girls” are among Longinotto’s previous credits.
“Shooting the Mafia” made its world premiere at Sundance in January and hits select theaters November 22.
