Céline Gailleurd and Oliver Bohler’s documentary Italia – Fire and Ashes [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] is a lyrical and visionary journey into a universe too often unknown: the origins of Italian silent cinema. It’s an art and a dazzling industry that gave birth to the first international stars, breathed life into peplum, melò and adventure films, and launched the first filmmakers. In its world of romantic delirium, teetering between Verdi’s symbolism and D'Annunzio’s decadentism, this type of cinema enjoyed international fame, fascinating crowds, intellectuals and artists from all over the world. The protagonists of this documentary, presented out of competition at this year’s Turin Film Festival (24 November-4 December), are directors, actors, technicians and critics who contributed to the exuberant originality of that cinema. Narrated by the voice of Isabella Rossellini for the Italian and English versions, and by Fanny Ardant for the French one, it includes exceptional archive footage, most of it rare and unreleased.

Italia – Fire and Ashes was produced by Articolture (Italy) and Nocturnes Productions (France), in association with Luce Cinecittà. It received backing from the European Union’s Creative Europe – MEDIA programme, the Emilia-Romagna Film Commission, the PACA region, the Italy-France Co-development and Co-production MiC/CNC fund, CNAP – Centre National des artes plastiques and the French Academy in Rome – Villa Médicis. Rome-based firm TVCO is in charge of its world sales.

Check out our exclusive trailer below: