''The Sicilian Girl'' ( it, La siciliana ribelle) is a 2008

Italian film The cinema of Italy (, ) comprises the films made within Italy or by Italian directors. Since its beginning, Italian cinema has influenced film movements worldwide. Italy is one of the birthplaces of art cinema and the stylistic aspect of film ...

directed by Marco Amenta. The film is inspired by the story of

Rita Atria Rita Atria (; September 4, 1974 − July 26, 1992) was a witness and key collaborator in a major Mafia investigation in Sicily. She committed suicide in July 1992, a week after Cosa Nostra killed prosecutor Paolo Borsellino, with whom she had be ...

, a key witness in a major Mafia investigation in

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

Synopsis

Beginning in 1985 in Balata, Sicily, the eleven-year-old Rita Mancuso witnessed the assassination of her beloved father Don Michele by a rival Mafia family. Six years later, her brother is killed by the Mafia as well. Determined to avenge the murders, she decides to break the

code of silence A code of silence is a condition in effect when a person opts to withhold what is believed to be vital or important information voluntarily or involuntarily. The code of silence is usually followed because of threat of force or danger to onesel ...

and goes to an anti-Mafia prosecutor in

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The city is noted for its ...

with her detailed diaries to be used as evidence. Being forced to flee her village, she is put into witness protection and transferred to a safe house in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

Reception

For ''The Sicilian Girl'', Amenta received a

David di Donatello The David di Donatello Awards, named after Donatello's ''David'', a symbolic statue of the Italian Renaissance, are film awards given out each year by the ''Accademia del Cinema Italiano'' (The Academy of Italian Cinema). There are 26 award cat ...

nomination for

Best New Director ''Best New Director'' was an award given by the New York Film Critics Circle from its first inception in 1989 until discontinuing in 1996. There was no award in 1993. 1980s 1989 * Kenneth Branagh – ''Henry V'' **Runners-up: Steve Kloves – '' T ...

. According to a ''New York Times'' movie review, the film is hobbled by sluggish direction by Amenta, who previously addressed Atria’s story in his 1997 documentary, ''One Girl Against the Mafia: Diary of a Sicilian Rebel''.Movie Review: ''The Sicilian Girl'' (2009): An Angry Soul From a Hard Island
''The New York Times'', August 3, 2010 Rita Atria's family have condemned the film; Atria's niece, Vita Maria Atria, said that "I don't believe that any of this helps to commemorate my aunt, but only serves economic ends which I really do not consider appropriate."Italy anti-mafia film sparks anger with relatives
Reuters, March 26, 2009

Cast

* Veronica D'Agostino as Rita Mancuso * Miriana Faja as Young Rita * Francesco Casisa as Vito * Carmelo Galati as Rita's brother * Gérard Jugnot as Prosecutor *

Marcello Mazzarella Marcello Mazzarella (born 18 October 1963) is an Italian actor. He appeared in more than sixty films since 1990. Selected filmography References External links * 1963 births Living people People from Erice Italian male film actors ...

as Don Michele * Mario Pupella as Zio Salvo * Primo Reggiani as Lorenzo * Lorenzo Rosone as Young Vito *

Lucia Sardo Lucia Sardo (born 13 December 1952) is an Italian actress. Life and career Born Aurora Sardo in Francofonte, Syracuse, Sardo formed at the Teatro di Ventura under Ferruccio Merisi. She made her film debut in the 1992 Aurelio Grimaldi's dram ...

as Rita's mother

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sicilian Girl, The 2008 films Italian crime drama films 2000s Italian-language films Films set in Rome Films about the Sicilian Mafia Crime films based on actual events Films set in Sicily Films shot in Italy Films with screenplays by Sergio Donati Films about witness protection