Naples is a city with a reputation. A city of culture, of creativity, but also a city of chaos and criminal neglect. This documentary confronts the challenges, intrigues, and complexities of this unique city. Allowing the people of Naples to tell their own stories reveals a city of generosity and pride, a city of many shadows now beginning to find its own light.
Posso Entrare? An Ode to Naples
Posso Entrare? An Ode to Naples invites audiences to step into the vibrant, complex world of Naples, Italy. This documentary seeks to answer profound questions about the city’s essence: who thrives here, who struggles, and what keeps this ancient city alive despite its challenges?
Naples is often characterized by extremes—poverty and passion, danger and celebration, crime and resilience. Yet beneath the surface, there’s a warmth and vibrancy in the Neapolitan spirit that transcends these struggles. The film's director is a British-born filmmaker with decades of Italian ties, who approaches the city as an outsider, observing its unique culture with fresh, curious eyes. She highlights how Naples, with its 3,000-year history and diverse influences, feels more alive than ever — its people compassionate, its streets brimming with stories.
The film offers an intimate look at some of Naples’ most notable figures, from a renowned journalist to a rapper who contributes an original song inspired by the city's history. We meet an actor who founded a community theater in his neighborhood, a street artist, and a sculptor. A witness to the ‘Four Days of Naples’ in which its people fought back against Nazi occupation, provides a first-hand account of the uprising which demonstrated Neapolitan spirit at its finest and earned the city Italy’s Gold Medal of Military Valor.
But Posso Entrare? doesn’t stop at public figures. It also brings us closer to everyday Neapolitans, whose stories are equally remarkable. The documentary introduces us to a priest revitalizing the Sanità district, and a 94-year-old swim champion who witnessed both World War II and the 1944 eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Taxi drivers, local artisans, and street vendors who offer Naples’ famous “lemonade with open legs” (‘limonata a cosce aperte’, which hilariously refers to the phenomenon of needing to spread one’s legs when drinking to avoid spilling the lemonade on one's clothes) to passersby, all play their part in showcasing the soul of this city.
Throughout the film, the looming presence of Mount Vesuvius serves as a reminder of Naples' perpetual dance with danger. While the city remains unprotected from the volcano’s potential wrath, its people have learned to protect themselves in other ways — through community, culture, family, and an infectious zest for life. The film explores how Neapolitans live in the moment, embracing both light and dark, life and death, in equal measure.
The documentary starts with a morning baptism and concludes at sunset, symbolizing Naples’ cyclical journey of life, death, and rebirth. Posso Entrare? is not only a love letter to Naples but also a meditation on the universal human desire to endure, connect, and celebrate life, even in the face of uncertainty.
