Letizia Battaglia - Shooting Life and Death in Palermo

Synopsis

Born in 1935 in post-war Palermo, Letizia Battaglia, since young, longed for freedom and independence. Held captive by her father when she was ten, she married herself quickly at the age of sixteen to escape her abusive family, only to be imprisoned once again in her marriage with a tyrant husband who refused her literature studies.

In her thirties, impelled by the desire to write, Letizia fled from her husband to live in Milan with her two children. Being a single mother, she nurtured the family by working for newspapers as a freelance reporter, and found herself, almost by chance, with a camera in her hands.

Even without any technique, her unique eyes behind the lens powerfully captured the poetry, the strength, and the drama of Palermo. Spending most of her career documenting the lives and the crimes of the mafia, Letizia Battaglia’s bold and distinctive photos made herself one of the greatest photojournalists in the world.

Through the series, we follow the life story of Letizia Battaglia and discover the secret of Palermo.