»Filibus’s trim suit and newsboy cap give gender boundaries a fairly forceful push […]; but still more radical is the way the film destabilizes appearances in general, constantly oscillating between reality and illusion, whether it’s diamonds, kidnappings, or wardrobe until it seems that all of life is one big masquerade.«
Monica Nolan

Baroness Troixmond appears to be a respectable lady of the upper class; but behind the façade hides Filibus, a futuristic super villain who terrorises the whole of Sicily from her airship. With her masked assistants in tow who obey her orders to the letter, the air pirate wreaks havoc. The airship is her control centre—equipped with the latest technology, such as a heliograph, a tiny camera, a miniature pistol and plenty of sleeping pills. Using a pod (with a mobile phone connection!), Filibus rappels her way down, steals from the rich and then mysteriously disappears into the clouds. She only sets foot on the ground for raids or to distract her pursuers from her true identity: either as Baroness Troixmond or as the aristocratic dandy Count de la Brieve. As the latter, Filibus tries to court Leonore, the sister of her adversary Detective Kutt-Hendy. Filibus plays cat and mouse with him and drives him mad psychologically with a diabolical plan. In the end, Filibus himself floats off scot free into the sunset in the airship.

Musical accompaniment by musicians Mariá Portugal (drums) and Gunda Gottschalk (violin).

With Valeria Creti

It took until 2018, while researching for the restoration of the film Filibus, to discover that the previously unknown actress Valeria Creti played the multiple roles of Filibus, Baroness Troixmond and Count de la Brieve. Her subtle, brilliant performance was decades ahead of her time. Unfortunately, World War 1 put a swift end to her short career, which had offered potential for major stardom. For half a century, the modern portrayal of the title role in Filibus was attributed to Cristina Ruspoli, but she actually played the supporting role of Leonora, the detective’s sister. After more than a century, Creti can finally get the credit for her fantastic acting performance as the leading lady.

Films with Valeria Creti
Signori Giurati 1916