Is Sara Woman in the Shadows a True Story? Is Sara Morozzi Based on a Real Secret Agent?

‘Sara: Woman in the Shadows‘ (Originally titled ‘Sara: La Donna Nell’ombra’) is an Italian crime show about a retired agent who returns to the world of mystery and conspiracy she once left behind. Sara Morozzi used to be a part of a Secret Service Unit, where her people/lip-reading skills earned her an exceptional reputation. Eventually, an unfortunate accident involving the death of her estranged son, Giorgio, finds the retiree brushing up on her old detective skills. As she delves deeper into the private investigation, her paths cross with an old colleague, Teresa, the new head of their classified department.

Inevitably, this pulls Sara back into her old life as she finds herself entangled in the unraveling of a tense and dangerous political plot. This Netflix show dives headfirst into a familiar detective world where a distinctly unique protagonist takes the center stage. However, how much of the former agent’s encounter with secret agencies and national political conspiracies is actually based in reality?

Sara: Woman in the Shadows Brings Maurizio De Giovanni’s Literary Work to the Screen

‘Sara: Woman in the Shadows’ is an on-screen adaptation of a beloved Italian crime novel series written by Maurizio De Giovanni. The author, well-known for his work in the noir genre, first published the ‘Le Indagini di Sara’ (‘The Investigation of Sara’) series in 2019. The books revolve around the titular character, Sara, whose gray hair and inconspicuous disposition make her more or less invisible in most settings. However, she has the extraordinary ability to use this to her advantage and dig around the perceived truth to uncover the real heart of every matter. At the time of writing, the series has a seven-installment run, each of which focuses on the once-retired agent as she takes on a new investigative adventure.

Netflix’s ‘Sara: Woman in the Shadows’ seems to take direct inspiration from the first novel, ‘Sara al Tramonto,’ or ‘Sara at Sunset,’ for the premise of its first season. The show’s team of screenwriters, which includes Donatella Diamanti, Giovanni Galassi, and Mario Cristiani, has adapted Giovanni’s work with a faithful recreation of the literary world and its characters. The screenwriting trio has previously worked on various other crime-centric projects, including a shared collaboration on ‘Resta Con Me.’ Thus, they’re able to effectively breathe new life into Sara’s character and her story even as it’s translated from the pages of the books to the screen. One of the key aspects of doing so came from maintaining a connection between Giovanni’s fictional world and reality.

Sara: Woman in the Shadows Underlines Italy’s Political Landscape

Even though Sara’s narrative in ‘Sara: Woman in the Shadows’ picks up with the death of her son, the agent’s days soon begin revolving around uncovering a conspiracy surrounding political candidate Tarallo. While this plotline, like other aspects of the show, is entirely a work of fiction, it still highlights certain parts of reality. The show’s central investigative focus lies in the corruption perpetuated by a politician who is campaigning on a fiercely anti-immigration platform. In reality, several right-wing Italian politicians have showcased an inclination toward the same in their politics. Italy’s current Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, campaigned with notable promises of migration restrictions during the 2022 elections.

In the time since then, Meloni has quickly cemented herself as a significant champion of anti-immigration policy in the world of European politicians. Her policies continue to crack down on migrant arrivals, restrictions on residence permits, and deportations, fueling her anti-migrant stance. Similarly, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini also came into hot water in 2019 for his controversial order to prevent an NGO ship filled with migrants from docking at one of Italy’s ports. Ultimately, even though prosecutors attempted to convict him on counts of kidnapping and dereliction of duty, the DP Prime Minister was ultimately acquitted. Even though neither Meloni nor Salvini serves as an evident inspiration for the political storylines in the show, the reality of off-screen Italian politics provides an efficient context for the socio-political themes of Sara’s on-screen investigation. Thus, even though the show remains fictitious, it maintains a sense of connection to reality.

Sara Morozzi is a Fictional Character

Sara Morozzi, the central character in the series, is also a work of fiction that can be entirely credited to by Maurizio de Giovanni’s creativity. She stands apart as a unique character in the genre of inquisitive detectives and special agents. Unlike most characters, clichéd to the genre, including the author’s own creations, Commissioner Ricciardi and the lead character of the crime series ‘Il Metodo Del Coccodrillo,’ Sara mines her strengths from different avenues. She works in the shadows, employing her ability to blend in as an eternal advantage.

Furthermore, lip-reading and other forms of long-distance interpretation remain a cornerstone of Sara’s investigative practices. Additionally, the agent charts a uniquely charming narrative as a retiree who has a long and varied history behind her, littered with moments of moral ambiguity. Her complicated familial dynamics and relationships add a level of humanity to her character that makes her storyline appealing to the audience. Most of these elements of characterization are directly lifted from the on-screen agent’s literary counterpart. Therefore, even without a real-life inspiration, Sara Morozzi sports a riveting origin story.