The Ape Woman
The Ape Woman (Italian: La donna scimmia, French: Le Mari de la femme à barbe) is a 1964 Italian-French drama film directed by Marco Ferreri. It was entered into the 1964 Cannes Film Festival.[1] The film was inspired by the real-life story of Julia Pastrana a 19th-century woman exploited as a freak show attraction by her manager Theodore Lent.
| The Ape Woman | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Marco Ferreri |
| Written by | Rafael Azcona Marco Ferreri |
| Produced by | Carlo Ponti |
| Starring | Ugo Tognazzi |
| Cinematography | Aldo Tonti |
| Edited by | Mario Serandrei |
| Music by | Teo Usuelli |
Release date |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Countries | Italy France |
| Languages | Italian French |
In 2008, the film was included on the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage’s 100 Italian films to be saved, a list of 100 films that "have changed the collective memory of the country between 1942 and 1978."[2]
Plot
Marie, the "Ape Woman", is completely covered with hair; the entrepreneur Focaccia discovers her in a convent in Naples; he marries her (a condition imposed by the nuns) and begins exhibiting her to the public. He tries to sell her to a man who insists on her virginity, but she is a little reluctant. After tasting success in Paris, she dies during childbirth. Focaccia recovers her mummy from the museum of natural history and exhibits it in Naples.
Cast
- Ugo Tognazzi as Antonio Focaccia
- Annie Girardot as Maria
- Achille Majeroni as Majoroni
- Filippo Pompa Marcelli as Bruno
- Ermelinda De Felice as Sister Furgonicino (as Linda De Felice)
- Elvira Paolini as Chambermaid
- Ugo Rossi as Ponszoner
Release
The Ape Woman was released in 4K restoration[3] on Blu-ray and digital platforms on 11 October 2021.[4]
See also
References
- "Festival de Cannes: The Ape Woman". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- "Ecco i cento film italiani da salvare Corriere della Sera". www.corriere.it. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- "The Ape Woman". Film Authority. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- Bradshaw, Peter (7 October 2021). "The Ape Woman review – freakshow satire with bizarre alternative-ending payoff". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 October 2021.