The Code of Silence
An evocative, dark drama inspired by true stories, The Code of Silence is set in the wild Calabrian landscape where hardship and beauty go hand in hand.
Having lost her mother when she was young, the restless Rosa (Lina Siciliano) has grown up in a southern Italian village with her grandmother and her uncle’s family. Rosa is haunted by oppressive dreams and images that cast a gloomy shadow over her present. Yet, the more she recalls her memories of the mysterious circumstances of her mother’s death, the more she begins to direct her gaze towards present-day family dynamics.
When the truth eventually emerges and Rosa becomes aware of her family’s involvement in the mafia, she must decide what she is willing to risk in order to break out of the ’Ndrangheta.
Based on the novel Fimmine rebelli by journalist Lirio Abbate and true stories of women who stood up to the ‘Ndrangheta, this drama from Francesco Costabile is a powerful feature film debut about a unique yet timeless story of resistance.
DIRECTOR: FRANCESCO COSTABILE
Italian director and screenwriter Francesco Costabile began his filmmaking journey in 2001 with the short film La sua gamba. He went on to produce two more short films, and four documentaries notably L’abito e il volto-Incontro con Piero Tosi (2009) and In un futuro aprile (2019). The Code of Silence is Costabile’s feature film directorial debut.