The Mouth of the Wolf / La bocca del lupo

Dir. Pietro Marcello. 2009, 68 mins. 35mm. In Italian with English subtitles. With Vincenzo Motta, Mary Monaco, Franco Leo. “In Italian, ‘La bocca del lupo’ (‘The mouth of the wolf’) refers to the poor, red-light neighborhood of Naples as well as prison windows whose bars block escape. Director Pietro Marcello employs both these meanings to create a non-fiction film that could have come from the novels of Jean Genet. A man released from prison makes his way through the city to be with his true love, a trans woman working as a prostitute until they can be together. Voiceover from audio tapes she sent to him during his prison sentence are the guiding voice of his journey. As the film shifts from poetic construction to a stripped-down verité style, the reunion of these two outcasts becomes one the most raw, vulgar, and absolutely poignant portraits of love ever presented in documentary. The mouth of this wolf bites and wounds but it also speaks with deep eloquence of the strength and resilience of the spirit.”— Donal Mosher