The Woman’s Greatest Value is Her Silence

Name: The Woman’s Greatest Value is Her Silence
Released: 1980
Duration: 90 min

Gertrud Pinkus / Germany, Switzerland / 1980 / 90 min

Maria, a young migrant from southern Italy, reflects on her life in Frankfurt alongside Giacomo, whom she married against her parents’ wishes. In keeping with the code of silence of her home region, her story is interpreted on camera by other immigrant protagonists. What began as a documentary portrait evolves into a hybrid work that is ambiguous and humorous, blending reality and fiction, as well as minor and major histories. Through reenactments that merge Maria’s life with the experiences of those portraying her, the film explores themes of uprooting, integration, and resignation. Observational sequences intertwine with subtly staged scenes that evoke Maria’s inner world.

Q&A

06.06. / KLICK Kino

Gertrud Pinkus

Director

Gertrud Pinkus is a filmmaker, screenwriter, director, editor, and multidisciplinary artist. She studied stage design at Theater Basel and the Academy of Fine Arts Munich. After working in traditional theater, she joined the action-theater movement. Since the 1970s, she has focused on cinema, working across documentary and feature film as a screenwriter, camera operator, director, and editor. Her career spans theater, film, video, and photography, and has received wide international recognition.

Ida Hausdorf

Moderator

Ida Hausdorf is a freelance social media manager, editor, and impact strategist. Her multifaceted studies in psychology and communication (BA) and television and cross-media culture (MA) make her an all-rounder in digital communication strategies and social media storytelling. In her work on projects like the award-winning Instagram profile IchbinSophieScholl and the climate justice campaign ‘Not Just Celsius’, she focuses on the intersection of digital narration.