News headlines and books about women involved in mafia activities or becoming State’s witnesses are increasingly common. Similarly, the growing number of female protagonists in cinematic portrayals of the Italian mafias points to increasing interest in the relationship between women and organized crime. In the case of the ’ndrangheta (the Calabrian mafia), whose structure is based on familial ties that contribute to its particular cohesion and strength, several films have centered on female characters.
This talk examines the evolution of cinematic portrayals of women in Italian organized crime since the 2000s, with particular attention to the Sicilian mafia and the ’ndrangheta. Drawing on sociological studies of women and the Italian mafias, it also explores how these cinematic portrayals offer stylized insights into the complex roles women play in relation to these criminal organizations.
Please reach out to Professor Giuliano Migliori at migliori.2@osu.edu to request the Zoom link.
Veronica Vegna is Senior Instructional Professor, Director of the Italian Language Program, and Coordinator of the Languages Across the Curriculum Program at the University of Chicago. Her book Donne, mafia e cinema: una prospettiva interdisciplinare (Longo Editore, 2017) offers a critical analysis of gender roles in depictions of the Sicilian mafia in contemporary Italian film. Her interest in this topic arises from both her academic research and her experience as a journalist in Palermo, the Italian city where she was born and raised. Her most recent articles extend this inquiry to include various Italian mafias and the roles women play in relation to these organizations.
