The Dumb Girl of Portici (DVD)

Previously unseen and long overdue for the spotlight, this film remains one of screen legend Lois Weber’s finest creations and a landmark in women’s cinema. Ballet dancer and choreographer Anna Pavlova lends her presence to Weber and Phillips Smalley's story of Fenella, a wordless fisher-girl living under the Spanish occupation of Naples in the mid-17th century, as she is seduced by a Spanish nobleman. However, when the nobleman betrays and abandons her, Fenella's broken heart inspires her brother to lead a rebellion against their overlords and free their people from rule. After a century's worth of work in restoration, THE DUMB GIRL OF PORTICI returns with a brilliant score by John Sweeney to delight modern audiences.