AllMovie

Maverick filmmaker Abel Ferrara weaves together fact and fiction in this portrait of the often seamy underside of the city of Naples. Ferrara traveled to Italy to interview the inmates at the Naples Pozzuoli State Prison, a high security lockup for women, and with the help of a translator he allows a number of women doing time to talk about their lives before and after they were convicted. Ferrara chose to expand the short profile of the prisoners into a feature by offering a look at life in the slums of Naples and the actions of a number of law enforcement officers and social workers struggling to improve conditions for the poor, as well as adding three short fictional segments shot of digital video gear. The fictional segments involve a violent outburst in a prison, a mobster committing a murder for hire, and the experiences of a young streetwalker. Shanyn Leigh plays the prostitute, while Anita Pallenberg makes a cameo appearance as her mother. Napoli Napoli Napoli was an official selection at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival.