The Ape Woman

Who was Marco Ferreri, best known for The Big Feast? For nearly forty years, he made films on his own terms, even under censorship. Form was never his primary concern; content was. He was one of the boldest and most risk-taking directors of his time, while remaining consistently faithful to his anarchic path. His fifth feature, The Ape Woman, screened in competition at the 1964 Cannes Film Festival, reveals a characteristic Ferreri paradox: cynicism and predatory exploitation coexisting with tenderness and love. Antonio Focaccia, a petty crook, encounters Maria, a rare “woman-ape”, in an orphanage. He removes her from that world, marries her, and turns her into both his beloved and the source of his success. People will pay to see her. Antonio can finally live happily ever after. A real treat not to be missed, and at the same time an opportunity to get to know a truly uncompromising artist who is really worth rediscovering.

Stanisław Bardadin

Marco Ferreri (1928–1997) – Italian director, screenwriter, and actor, and one of the most controversial figures in European auteur cinema. In his films, he combined dark drama with grotesque satire, mercilessly exposing the hypocrisy of institutions, social conventions, and contemporary mentalities. His uncompromising works provoked extreme reactions and sparked intense critical debate. Awards at major festivals, including the Golden Bear for The House of Smiles (1991), cemented his reputation as a radical yet widely acclaimed artist.

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