La Paloma Theatre

Thu. 10/19 - 7:00 PM

$16 GA
$12 SDIFF Members
$7 Students & Military

*Eventive fees not included in the price.

In the heart of Rome’s Jewish ghetto during WWII, one woman’s defiance became an act of heroism that history nearly forgot. This powerful historical drama tells the true story of Elena Di Porto—a fiercely independent Roman Jewish woman who defied fascism and risked everything to save lives. Branded “Elena the Crazy” for her scandalous rejection of social norms, Elena became a relentless thorn in the side of the fascist regime that threatened her community’s very existence. Arrested repeatedly for confronting the forces occupying her neighborhood, Elena’s rebellious spirit marked her as dangerous to the regime. As the Nazi occupation tightened its grip on Rome in 1943, this fearless woman joined the resistance and uncovered intelligence that could save hundreds of lives. When she learned of the impending roundup of the ghetto, Elena faced her greatest challenge: armed with the truth, she raced through the streets in a desperate attempt to warn her neighbors of the coming horror. A stirring portrait of rebellion, resilience, and the cost of speaking truth to power, Elena’s War celebrates the indomitable spirit of a woman who refused to remain silent and dared to stand alone against tyranny—a woman whose extraordinary bravery left an indelible mark on the history of Rome’s Jewish community.

After the movie we'll host a special Q&A session with Dr. Shira Klein Associate Professor, Chair, Department of History Fellow, Ferrucci Institute for Italian Experience and Research. Dr. Klein focuses on Italian Jewry, Jewish migration, and the Holocaust. Her book Italy’s Jews from Emancipation to Fascism (Cambridge University Press, 2018) was selected as finalist for the 2018 National Jewish Book Award. Her co-authored article “Wikipedia’s Intentional Distortion of the History of the Holocaust” in the Journal of Holocaust Research has surpassed 35,000 views, attracted international media coverage, and achieved an attention score in the 98th percentile according to data science company Altmetric. 

In Italian with English subtitles.

Year: Italy 2025, 97 mins

Directed by: Stefano Casertano

Screenplay: Stefano Casertano, Francesca Della Ragione, Alessandra Kre

Editing: Massimo Quaglia

Cinematography: Maura Morales Bergmann

Cast: Micaela Ramazzotti, Valerio Aprea, Giulia Bevilacqua, Caterina De Angelis, Giovanni Calcagno, Claudia Della Seta, Matteo Quinzi, Marcello Maietta, Gabriele Cirilli, Florence Nicolas

Production: Titanus Production, Masi Film, Rai Cinema, M74, Sound Art 23, Titanus

Distribution: Menemsha Films