THE NITA & ZITA PROJECT unfolds the riveting story of two Jewish immigrant sisters who rose to international burlesque stardom. Their journey, marked by both the dazzle of the spotlight and the shadows of solitude, is a testament to their unbreakable bond, their vibrant heritage, and their indelible influence on the fabric of the city that became their final resting place. Filmmaker Marci Darling, who hails from Manchester-by-the-Sea, challenges Jewish stereotypes and gender norms, illuminating a slice of American culture rarely seen—the lives of burlesque dancers, acrobats, contortionists, and the courageous performers who dare to dream under the spotlight.
Bridie O’Connell, a Salem Film Fest 2024 organizer, had the opportunity to chat with Darling ahead of THE NITA & ZITA PROJECT’s world premiere to learn more about the film.
Bridie O’Connell: What does it mean to you to be a local filmmaker and have the world premiere of your film at Salem Film Fest?
Marci Darling: I love Salem, the history, the art, the quirky culture. I have volunteered for many years at the Peabody Essex Museum because I think it is an exceptional supporter of local art. I also work in the wand shop in Salem every October just to people-watch. I am enchanted by the covens of witches ages 5-85 who come in looking for wands. Premiering at the Salem Film Festival has been an extraordinary experience. The Festival team is outstanding and the festival itself has several unique factors that support artists and filmmakers in ways other festivals don't. For example, I didn't know what to expect from the "Lineup Reveal" and I was surprised when it was sold out. The theater was filled with so many passionate film lovers who really responded to the trailers — it was an amazing experience.
Pictured: Marci Darling and Sharon Gillen at the Historic New Orleans Collection
BO: How did you decide to pursue and create this film?
MD: Last January, I woke up one morning and knew I needed to tell the story of Nita & Zita. I was visiting New Orleans in 1997 and was standing in a crowded bar, when I spotted a photo of Zita across the room and it felt like being hit by a lightning bolt. I have a radar for vintage makeup, costumes, and dancers, and that was my first exposure to the sisters. The next day, I was wandering around the French Quarter when I stumbled upon Judy's Collage — a Junque shop that had tattered costumes hanging from the ceiling, costumes that had belonged to these local New Orleans legends. I returned to LA where I was a professional belly dancer, circus acrobat, and burlesque dancer, and ended up doing an homage to Nita & Zita with my dance partner and soul mate, Kim. Kim was a contortionist, and I was a contortionist-illusionist, and we created a burlesque act that played every Thursday night at the Viper Room in Hollywood for years. Once I had my children and moved to New Orleans, I always kept photos of Nita & Zita around my house as inspiration. Kim died in 2018, and this film is my homage to her, a way for me to re-live those dancing years and our time together. As my research grew, the film became even more for me, a way to tell the stories of marginalized women, trailblazers who lived life on their own terms, a way to illuminate a slice of American history rarely seen — that of the offbeat performers.
BO: Can you tell us more about your creative vision and approach to storytelling in this film?
MD: They say creating Apocalypse Now was a journey into the Heart of Darkness — creating The Nita Zita Project was a journey into the Heart of Light. With no money and very few images of Nita & Zita, I initially planned for the film to be five minutes long and filmed on my phone; however, once I started researching, many doors flung open and the film grew into a full crew, shooting on location, and a year of relentless research that took me from the New England Genealogical Society to the New York Library of the Performing Arts, to Harlem, New Orleans, the Historic New Orleans Collection, the Louisiana State Museum, and even knocking on doors in the French Quarter. I was inspired by quirky filmmakers who blaze their own trails and don't follow any rules — like Greta Gerwig, Wes Anderson, and Hitchcock. With so little budget, I had to get very creative with my vision for the film. I wanted it to be whimsical and to reflect the sisters’ handmade style. I call the film my "handstitched tale of wonder."
BO: What challenges did you face in creating this film?
MD: There were many challenges when making this film, for example, very little was known about my subjects Nita & Zita. There were stories and rumors about them and their dancing, but no proof. As a scholar, I researched relentlessly, but much of performing arts history is not yet digitized. I had to search through actual card catalogs in libraries. In New Orleans, I would look for sources at antique shops, and because many people there refuse to email or even talk on the phone, I was sent to "knock on the door of the house with the magenta porch." Additionally, as performers, Nita & Zita often changed their names. Even when they danced under their real names, the flyers and newspapers misspelled their names. I think the fact that I was a dancer gave me insight into the research because I too love to change my name, and changed it often as a performer, so I knew to try different combinations and different possibilities, which is what led me to find so much research.
BO: What is something surprising viewers can expect from your film (and try not to give anything away!)
MD: In the titles of my film, there is a red glitter sign reading "Nita and Zita, International Dancers Dance Here Every Night." This sign was not made by me. It is the actual sign Nita & Zita made themselves and hung in their house. Every frame of the film is meant to evoke Nita Zita style. For example, when one of our interviewees, Katie Pearl, is talking about trying on Zita's dress, and how it fit her perfectly as a jewish woman from Eastern Europe, the background I used is actually the painted walls in an abandoned synagogue in Transylvania. Also, many people find it surprising that many of the "bohemian" artists and dancers, the "outsider artists" who were inspired and impacted by the sisters, are now professors, enriching higher education by teaching at Brown, Wesleyan, Pratt, Endicott, and more places.
THE NITA & ZITA PROJECT screens in-person during Salem Film Fest at Cinema Salem on Sunday, March 24 at 3pm. Tickets available here.
