In the streets of Sicily, Letizia Battaglia pointed her camera straight into the heart of the Mafia that surrounded her and began to shoot. The striking black-and-white photos she took documenting the rule of the Cosa Nostra define her career.

Shooting the Mafia weaves together Battaglia’s photographs, rare archival footage, and the now 84-year-old’s memories, painting a portrait of a remarkable woman whose bravery and defiance helped expose the Mafia’s brutal crimes.