Defying expectations: gender and the ’Ndrangheta in Francesco Costabile’s Una femmina (2022)

Francesco Costabile’s Una femmina (2022) challenges traditional notions of masculinity and femininity embedded in the ’Ndrangheta and patriarchy at large. This analysis examines the construction of some of the key characters in Una femmina while reflecting on motherhood and female agency – two central topics in sociological research on gender and organised crime. The essay considers the power dynamics underlying these themes and explores the film’s aesthetic choices, which express a gynocentric perspective through a psychological exploration of its central female characters.